New Lisburn Social Housing 'Top Priority'

Vulnerable people are the priority in Housing Executive's plan for Lisburn, the organisation's Director of Housing and Regeneration has said.

Meeting with city councillors, Colm McCaughley suggested the plan is not just about physical "bricks and mortar".

He recognised that Lisburn resident have grown "impatient for better housing", but insisted the Housing Executive must "live within its means".

Despite this Mr McCaughley said the provision of new social housing is still a "top priority".

"Our focus this year is two-fold. Firstly, to manage the provision of 1,750 new social homes by housing associations over the year. Secondly, we want to develop an accelerated programme for the years ahead."


He gave a nod towards research by University of Ulster Economics Head Mike Smyth, which showed how social housing investment can sustain and stimulate the economy.

"Our energies need to be focused on putting housing funding on to a more stable footing. We cannot have circumstances where housing is waiting in hope every quarter to fund all the pressures in the housing programme," said Mr McCaughley.

Last year the Housing Executive invested £9.4 in homes in Lisburn through improvements and private sector grants.

Around 138 adaptations to Housing Executive homes were completed at a cost of over £918,000.

South East Area Manager Stephen Graham said: "Our priority is to meet housing need in Lisburn. One of the ways we intend to do this is to focus this year on providing more new social homes."

He also said the Housing Executive, this year, plans to start external maintenance work to 198 homes and heating replacement to a further 31 homes, in the area.

Home Improvement Grants, have been affected by a shortfall in funding, Mr Graham said.

He said the number of grants issued in Northern Ireland this year would be slashed from 7,000 to 2,000.

(PR/JM)