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When everyone has a home

028 9024 5640: Housing & Debt Helpline for Northern Ireland

NI Assembly

Committee recommends action on repossession "task force"

24 July 2013

The Department for Social Development (DSD) has indicated in the Housing Strategy Action Plan a need to establish a working group to identify ways of lessening the impact of repossession in Northern Ireland.  Following a recent consultation event the Committee for Social Development has made recommendations to the DSD to assist in the formulation of this working group.

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Repossession, Affordability, NI Assembly

Rate rebate consultation announced

23 July 2013

The Department of Finance and Personnel has launched a second stage consultation exercise seeking views on a proposed way forward for rates support from April 2014. The changes are needed as a result of the UK government’s decision to remove the council tax element of housing benefit in Britain and the rate rebate element in Northern Ireland.

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Policy, Affordability, NI Assembly

Future of housing action plan

4 July 2013

The Department for Social Development released its Housing Strategy "Facing the Future" for consultation in October 2012. With little fanfare, the Department has now published an Action Plan to deliver this strategy.  The plan sets out a number of objectives and actions for the next four years (to 2017) and includes the key themes originally proposed in the consultation paper:

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Social Tenancies, Private Tenancies, Policy, NI Assembly

Landlord registration scheme delay

1 July 2013

The Department for Social Development has written to stakeholders about the delay to the landlord registration scheme.

Regulations for the scheme were approved by the NI Assembly in September 2012 and it was intended that the scheme would be operative by June 2013.

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Landlord, NI Assembly, Private Tenancies

Repossession "task force" welcomed

1 July 2013

The Department for Social Development will be setting up a working group on repossession and negative equity. It will examine the extent of the problem and consider options for government intervention.

The current level of repossession actions in Northern Ireland is the highest in the UK.  Recent Courts & Tribunal Service statistics show that over 1000 cases were received to the High Court between January and March 2013, representing a 19% increase on the same period last year.

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Repossession, Affordability, NI Assembly

Rates Review not Highly Rated

29 June 2013

In a briefing to the Assembly’s Committee for Finance & Personnel on 5th June 2013, Housing Rights Service warned that proposed changes contained in the Department for Finance & Personnel (DFP)’s Review of Rates Liability for the Landlord Sector will not make much of a difference to our clients.

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Private Tenancies, Policy, NI Assembly

Review of Rates Liability for the Landlord Sector

Consultation Response
June 2013

The consultation paper seeks views on proposed changes to clarify the rules covering landlord liability for rates. It is argued the current rules are complicated to administer and difficult for landlords (owners) and tenants (occupiers) to fully understand who is legally liable for rates on rented property.

PDF icon Briefing to the Committee for Finance & Personnel on the Review of Rates Liability for the Landlord Sector . HRS. May 2013.pdf

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Private Tenancies, Policy, Landlord, NI Assembly

Amendments to Clause 69 of the Welfare Reform Bill (Bedroom Tax)

Policy Briefing
March 2013

The Bill is being considered by the NI Assembly over the coming months. Housing Rights Service is particularly concerned about the negative implications of introducing under occupancy penalties commonly referred to as the bedroom tax. We are against the implementation of this provision within Clause 69 and recommend that the Assembly does not introduce it. If this is unavoidable, we have recommended some amendments in an attempt to lessen its impact.

PDF icon HRS Welfare Reform Bill Amendments March 13.pdf

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NI Assembly, Policy, Welfare Reform

Response to DSD Housing Strategy for Northern Ireland

Consultation Response
December 2012

Housing Rights Service has responded to the DSD consultation exercise - 'Facing the Future: A Housing Strategy for Northern Ireland'. The strategy is intended to cover a five year period from 2012-2017.

Our response examines the five themes contained in the consultation paper, namely:

  • Ensuring access to decent, affordable, sustainable homes across all tenures
  • Meeting housing needs and supporting the most vulnerable
  • Housing and welfare reform
  • Driving regeneration and sustaining communities through housing, and
  • Having correct structures in place.
PDF icon HRS DSD Housing Strategy response Dec12.pdf

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Policy, Homelessness, NI Assembly

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