The SDLP’s Mark H Durkan has challenged Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald around claims that an additional £24 million allocation to the Department for Communities will allow for the construction of 1,400 new social homes in Northern Ireland.
Said the Foyle MLA: “Any additional money for housing is welcome but the ability to build 1,400 new social homes, given the decimation of baseline budget for social housing build that allowed for just 400 new homes, is highly unlikely.
“It’s also unclear whether costs associated with water and wastewater connections have been factored in as part of this calculation.
“The Minister of Finance’s response to questions on how her department arrived at this figure has failed to provide any clarity.
“We know that the Department for Communities failed to consult with the Housing Executive when determining possible new starts for 2024/25.
“The target of 2,000 new social builds for 2024/25 won’t be achieved this year given the drastic cuts to the Social Housing Development Programme, which will allow for a meagre 600 new homes to be built.
“Sadly, ministers seem to be in the habit of plucking figures out of thin air, presenting numbers without proper basis or clear explanation.
“This was the case with the Housing Supply Strategy which promised to deliver 100,000 homes in 15 years.
“The then Minister admitted that no prior analysis had been carried out by her department on this figure after I raised questions in 2022.
“Two years on it’s clear this strategy, which is yet to be published, is undeliverable.
“The Executive’s delivery on housing has fallen woefully short – their approach undermines trust and accountability, leaving the public to question the accuracy and integrity of the claims being made.
“If they can’t be honest with themselves, what hope is there that they’ll be open and honest with the 47,000 social housing applicants waiting for a place to call home?”
