The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns brought into focus the indisputable link between housing and well-being.
For most of us, our homes were a place of safety during the ‘stay at home’ message. Yet, for too many, having the reassurance of a place to call home was out of reach and remains so.
Then and now, no person or family should be without the safety and security that a good quality, sustainable and affordable home brings.
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Over the next mandate, politicians must work to bring our housing crisis to an end. As the body for housing professionals in Northern Ireland, we are calling for decision-makers to commit to a number of policies to make this happen.
At the end of the last mandate, professionals across the sector were frustrated that the commitment made in the New Decade New Approach agreement to make housing a specific priority in the programme for government was not lived up to by the NI Executive.
In short, housing plays a central role as a driver of our economy and is a key determinant of social wellbeing. It is therefore imperative that the next government agree to the inclusion of a specific housing outcome in the programme for government if we are to bring an end to our housing shortage and invest in the quality of our homes.
Now that we are moving from the immediate crisis of covid-19, we face into another crisis, the climate emergency. Our homes, how we build them and how we live in them have a direct impact on our carbon footprint and the energy crisis facing many households.
Our members are already at the forefront of making innovative changes to their stock to help battle climate change and to reduce tenants’ soaring energy bills in the long-term, but significant investment from the NI Executive is needed if we are to do this on a scale that is required.
Tackling the cost of living crisis remains a stated priority for all parties, but short-term solutions aren’t sustainable. The reduction of household energy bills will need significant financing over the next mandate if we are to tackle this crisis in an indelible manner.
The positive impact of building net-zero properties and retrofitting homes is the opportunity to create skilled jobs that enhance our labour force and boost the Northern Ireland economy. It will also result in the growth of the construction industry here by attracting elements of the workforce that have in previously relocated to GB to find work.
In this election, like every election, the need to invest in social housing is being pushed to the fore; but we must keep it to the fore long after 5 May if we are to eradicate housing stress and homelessness for good. To put it bluntly, unless we build more houses than we have previously, the plight of families living in temporary accommodation and many young, single people sleeping on our streets will continue.
New ambitious targets set out in the draft Housing Supply Strategy to build 2,200 social homes per year must therefore be met with adequate long-term investment to ensure they are delivered at pace for those who need them.
In relation to the need to build more social homes, we believe the revitalisation of the Housing Executive is paramount to this task. Transforming the landlord arm of the organisation will allow it to access much-needed finance, enabling it to raise the quality of its current homes and begin building again.
We would ask all parties to commit to supporting this change in the years ahead to ensure new build targets are achieved and that those who live in Housing Executive properties live in top quality homes.
*Editorial by Heather Wilson, NI policy and engagement manager, Chartered Institute of Housing
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