Empty

Total: £0.00

picture of telephone  click icon for access to housing law in practice reference manual for membersMailing ListTwitterFacebook  YouTube

When everyone has a home

028 9024 5640: Housing & Debt Helpline for Northern Ireland

NI Assembly

Assembly roundup: March 2015

1 April 2015

A round up of housing related questions to Ministers during March 2015. 

Read more

Tagged In

NI Assembly

Welfare reform blocked by petition of concern

10 March 2015

Despite parties reaching broad agreement on welfare reform as part of the Stormont House agreement in December, Sinn Fein lodged a petition of concern yesterday.  The petition, also supported by the SDLP, effectively blocks further passage of the bill through the Assembly. 

Read more

Tagged In

Welfare Reform, NI Assembly

Assembly roundup: Social Development questions

2 March 2015

We've rounded up some of the questions answered by Social Development Minister Mervyn Storey during February.  The Minister's answers can be found below each question. You can use the Assembly's website to search for more questions and answers. 

Read more

Tagged In

Policy, NI Assembly

Welfare reform update

25 February 2015

The Welfare Reform Bill has been the subject of much discussion at the Assembly of late. During the Bill's consideration and further consideration stages a number of amendments were tabled. The majority of these amendments did not pass as they did not have cross community support.   The amended bill includes a duty on the Department for Social Devlopment to "ensure availability of advice and assistance" although an amendment to ensure that this advice was independent was negatived.

Read more

Tagged In

Benefits, Welfare Reform, NI Assembly

Welfare Reform back on Assembly’s agenda

6 February 2015

The Welfare Reform Bill will be subject to scrutiny in the Assembly next week.  The Social Development Committee will meet on Monday morning for a departmental briefing on the bill from Ms Anne McCleary and Mr Michael Pollock from the Department for Social Development.

Mervyn Storey, Minister for Social Development, will reintroduce the Bill to the Assembly for consideration stage on the 10 February.  

Read more

Tagged In

Benefits, Welfare Reform, NI Assembly

Response to A Strategy for the Delivery of Generalist Advice Services in Northern

Consultation Response
December 2014

Housing Rights Service has recently responded to a DSD consultation on  ‘A Strategy for the Delivery of Generalist Advice Services in Northern Ireland 2015 – 2020’.  We feel that any future changes to the work, organisation and administration of the generalist advice sector has the potential to impact on the day-to-day work of specialist agencies such as Housing Rights Service. Over 70% of our clients are already referred to us by another agency. Any change in their resources will also have an effect on the demand for HRS.

PDF icon HRS Response to Strategy for Delivery of Generalist Advice Service_081214[2].pdf

Tagged In

Practical tips, Policy, NI Assembly

Draft budget out for consultation

9 December 2014

The NI Executive has published a draft budget for 2015/16.  The budget sets out the overall spending available during this period and allocates amounts to each department.  Each department will then provide further detail on how it intends to spend its financial allocation during the 2015/16 financial year. 

Read more

Tagged In

NI Assembly

Summary of responses to developer contributions consultation

8 December 2014

The Department for Social Development (DSD) undertook a consultation exercise earlier this year seeking opinions on its proposed system to require that housing developers make contributions towards affordable housing in Northern Ireland. 

The consultation paper sought respondents views on 

Read more

Tagged In

NI Assembly

Tenant participation on the agenda

5 December 2014

A new consultation on the future of tenant participation in the social rented sector is due to be released in January 2015. Tenant participation is just one element of the overall package of possible reforms of the social rented sector which is currently being looked at. The other main reform areas being considered are:

Read more

Tagged In

Social Tenancies, Policy, NI Assembly

Transfer of housing functions delayed until 2016

11 November 2014

The Minister for Social Development, Mervyn Storey, has announced that the proposed transfer of housing functions from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and Department of Social Development to the new councils will not happen until 1st April 2016.

The original Housing and Regeneration Bill proposed a number of housing functions were to be transfered to the 11 new councils from 1st April 2015.  However, due to delays this Bill never materialised.

Read more

Tagged In

Policy, NI Assembly

Pages

Subscribe to NI Assembly