Homelessness

COVID-19: Rough sleepers and priority need

3 June 2020

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How the Assembly can deal with housing problems created by Covid-19

March 2020

This briefing paper details the ways in which we foresee Covid-19 and associated economic fallout impacting on homelessness and housing in Northern Ireland. It includes measures which we believe Government can take to cushion some of the worst impacts and help vulnerable people at this unique and troubling time.

Policy briefing in response to Covid-19 20032020.pdf

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Benefits, Social Tenancies, Private Tenancies, Welfare Reform, Homelessness

NIHE Customer Support and Tenancy Sustainment Strategy Response

Consultation Response

February 2020

Housing Rights has responded to the Housing Executive's Draft Cusomter Support and Tenancy Sustainment Strategy for 2019 to 2022. We welcome the Strategy's focus on prevention of tenancy breakdown and homelessness and have made a number of recommendations in our response which we hope will help to ensure a commitment to tenancy sustainment across all tenures.

HousingRights_response_NIHE_Customer_Support_Tenancy_Sustainment022020.pdf

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Social Tenancies, Private Tenancies, Homelessness

The Homelessness Monitor: Northern Ireland 2020

11 February 2020

The Homelessness Monitor is an in-depth look at the impacts of recent economic and policy developments in Northern Ireland (NI) on homelessness. The annual report funded by Crisis and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, analyses the impact of economic and policy developments on homelessness.

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Research, Private Tenancies, Homelessness

Housing Rights priorities for the new Assembly

20 January 2020

With Stormont back up and running, our Policy & Practice Manager, Kate McCauley has had a look at the key areas which Housing Rights hopes will be prioritised over the coming months by the new Minister and those MLAs appointed to Stormont’s Comm

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Welfare Reform, Policy, Homelessness, NI Assembly

Housing Rights Comperes Homeless Awareness Week Event

19 December 2019

Housing Rights attended and chaired an event on 6 December as part of Causeway Homeless Awareness Week 2019. The event was organised by the Housing Executive and held at the Vineyard Centre in Coleraine.

The annual Homeless Awareness Week offers an opportunity to both dispel myths around homelessness and to celebrate and learn from the work being done within the sector.

At the event a number of engaging presentations were delivered by speakers on subjects such as

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Homelessness

Falling Behind: Local Housing Allowance research

Research Paper

October 2019

Falling Behind: Exploring the gap between Local Housing Allowance and the availability of affordable private rented accommodation in Northern Ireland.

This research shows that renting privately in Northern Ireland is becoming increasingly unaffordable for people who rely on housing benefit to pay their rent. Almost 9 out of 10 of rental properties are out of reach for people receiving Housing Benefit with the research showing that as little as 12% of properties in the sector would have their rent fully covered by the amount of benefit available.

Falling behind Executive Summary 10 October.pdf

Falling Behind LHA full research Oct 2019.pdf

Falling-behind-policy-briefing-Oct19.pdf

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Benefits, Regulation, Research, Welfare Reform, Policy, Homelessness, Equality, Affordability

Almost 9 in 10 homes unaffordable for people on housing benefit

11 October 2019

New research launched today by advice charity Housing Rights shows that renting privately in Northern Ireland is becoming increasingly unaffordable for people who rely on housing benefit to pay their rent. Almost 9 out of 10 of rental properties are out of reach for people receiving Housing Benefit with the research showing that as little as 12% of properties in the sector would have their rent fully covered by the amount of benefit available.

Inter-Departmental Homelessness Action Plan Year 2

15 August 2019

The Inter-departmental Homelessness Action Plan (IDHAP) is a rolling plan that will evolve over the five years of the NIHE’s Homelessness Strategy. The Department for Communities (DfC) has recently published the Year 2 Action Plan.