Programme for Government Meeting covering Housing Supply issues in NI

One of our Committee members attended a recent workshop with Department for Communities to discuss the “Programme for Government” covering housing supply issues in Northern Ireland. The program was launched in May with a delivery plan being developed May to September and a consultation period from October to December. LANI will be making a formal response shortly but we have summarised the items raised in the key areas for discussion below:

Increase the number of new homes being built
I was asked if I thought private sector involvement in social housing provision should be considered and if it would help if it was encouraged by means of incentives to attract new landlords.

I replied that there was some evidence that private sector provision could be delivered more efficiently than by housing associations but couldn’t comment on specific detail. I also pointed out that there must be an acknowledgement that social support is the responsibility of the state rather than private individuals, so landlords would have to be supported in that endeavour.

Bring more empty homes back into use
One example tabled was the proposed “living over the shops” scheme in which vacant accommodation above shops would be developed for residential use.

The department also suggested vesting of empty homes for residential use.

To help make better use of what we already have I suggested financial incentives for developers to bring older buildings back into re-use, rather than let them decay, as it is often easier and cheaper for developers to build new rather than restore existing buildings.

Ensure housing is good quality
The main points of discussion in this section related to Housing Fitness Standards. LANI provided a formal response to the department’s fitness standards proposals in February 2016.

I emphasised the concern that the bar should not be raised so high that older properties might be excluded from the rental market and provided the example of a non-professional landlord who wants to rent out their house while they work abroad – but doesn’t want to have to replace their original single glazed sash windows or other architectural features in order to meet minimum energy efficiency requirements that might be in the standards.

It was acknowledged that it would be counter-productive to create a situation of reduced supply by setting standards too high, however there were strong feelings about ensuring a basic level of comfort and a healthy environment for all tenants.

Reducing segregation (or encouraging diversity)
Mixed housing initiatives were outlined as an alternative to the current practice of separate provision on sectarian lines, for example the new mixed use St Patrick’s Barracks housing development. There has been widespread support amongst residents, although initially many had reservations about moving into a mixed development themselves.

I explained the definition of an HMO and pointed out that just three friends sharing would be enough to create an HMO, whereas many associate the term with something larger. It is possible to change the use of an existing HMO property to non-HMO use without planning permission, however, in certain areas permission to change the same property back to HMO use at a later date may be refused. Therefore many landlords must continue to rent their property as an HMO or risk losing their property’s HMO status permanently. This does not encourage mixed communities as those areas become dominated by HMOs with no likelihood of mixed tenure. Owners are also discouraged from living in these areas themselves as there is no option of being able to move out and rent their large house to sharers at a later date if they wish to. Furthermore it is extremely difficult to find HMO accommodation outside student areas. Groups of young professionals who would prefer shared accommodation outside the general university area often find that they have to split up into separate flats instead. There has been a rise in public awareness recently surrounding loneliness and it must be recognised that a house share would work well for many people. I also pointed out that landlords in other areas can be reluctant to provide such accommodation due to the difficulty in getting HMO finance and the extra burdens imposed under the legislation.

Helping people access affordable housing
Various contributors stated that there is already quite good help and support for tenants in the social sector. I said that in the PRS in relation to social tenants it wasn’t sufficient to consider only tenant support but the focus should be on supporting tenancies and helping both landlord and tenant to make a tenancy successful with mediation available where necessary. It was acknowledged that some landlords might benefit from such a service.

 

 

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