SDLP Foyle MLA and Housing spokesperson Mark H Durkan
In 2016, it was revealed there were 20,629 houses registered as being empty in the North.
These figures emerged midway through the term of a government strategy aimed at tackling the problem.
The NI Empty Homes Strategy and Action Plan 2013-2018 set out a range of proposals for bringing empty properties throughout the North back into use.
However, new figures would suggest that the strategy has done little to address the problem.
The figures released last week by the Department of Finance show there are currently 20,068 houses registered as being empty in Northern Ireland.
However, the department has said the actual figure could be higher because there is no incentive for owners to register their properties as empty.
The current figures for the number of empty houses in the North of Ireland, and those released in 2016, were made public following questions at the Stormont Assembly by the SDLP’s housing spokesperson Mark Durkan.
He said the latest figures showed that much more work was needed to tackle the problem of vacant properties.
“It is shameful and scandalous that more has not been done to tackle this problem,” said the Foyle MLA.
“The new figures are shocking enough but it appears the number of empty houses could be even higher.
“It would certainly seem that the strategy launched in 2013 did not do much to reduce the number of empty properties.
“We have so many people on the homeless list, many of them in dire need of a home.
“We need to get as many of these properties back into use as soon as possible.
“The housing minister (Deirdre Hargey) needs to look at this as a matter of urgency.”
The Department of Finance said that following the introduction of the Rating of Empty Homes legislation in October 2011, the rate liability for vacant domestic properties has been assessed at 100pc.
Said a spokesperson: “There is currently no requirement for ratepayers to inform Land & Property Services that their property is vacant, nor is there any financial advantage to doing so.
“As such, current information on the number of empty domestic properties may not be current or complete.”
Tags: