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When everyone has a home

028 9024 5640: Housing & Debt Helpline for Northern Ireland

Policy

The General Election is looming. We all know that there are important housing issues that need addressed by our local politicians on a local and national scale. We have a real disparity between the supply and demand of social housing, an ongoing problem with homelessness, a growing private rented sector that needs to be improved to make it a truly viable housing option and the highest levels of negative equity in the UK; to name but a few.

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Policy

Reponse to consultation on Tenant Participation Strategy in NI

Housing Rights recently responded to the second in a series of consultations issued by the Department for Social Development on the reform of social housing.

As a rights-based organisation, we support the enhancement of tenants’ rights. We welcome the proposals that tenants should have a stronger role to play in how their landlord provides and develops their housing services. However, we believe that participation should be available to more people; not just tenants.

This consultation response makes a number of key points. 

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Regulation, Policy

Tenants should have a stronger role to play in how their landlord provides and develops their housing services, however, Housing Rights believes that participation should be available to more people; not just tenants. To ensure tenant participation is successful in Northern Ireland, there are a number of key points we believe that Government needs to consider.

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Regulation, Social Tenancies, Policy

The Department for Social Development has published its consultation on the future regulation of the social rented sector. This is the second in a series of consultations which form part of the Social Housing Reform Programme. Other areas still to be consulted on are:

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Regulation, Social Tenancies, Policy

Over 80 delegates attended a conference held in Belfast on the 5th March, aimed to help stimulate ideas and discussion for those who want input into the Department for Social Development’s (DSD) consultation “A Tenant Participation Strategy for Northern Ireland: 2015-2020”. 

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Social Tenancies, Policy

We've rounded up some of the reaction to last week's conference for those of you who were unable to make it. 

 

 

You can download speakers' presentations, notes from workshops and the launch of research into involving easy to ignore groups will be launched at the end of March. 

 

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Regulation, Social Tenancies, Policy

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. 

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Policy, NI Assembly

Housing Rights & Law Centre NI joint response to consultation on rate rebate scheme

Housing Rights and the Law Centre welcome the opportunity to respond to this consultation .  We have found that issues about rates, and help with rates, are becoming more of a priority for our clients; especially in debt cases. Non-payment of rates can lead to serious consequences such as bankruptcy, threat of homelessness and imprisonment. We also encounter many cases where the liability for rates between the landlord and tenant is unclear.  In general, we support the Department proposal to introduce a new rate rebate scheme in line with UC.  However, we do have a number of concerns with regards to backdating, appealing decisions and provision for hardship cases.
 

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Benefits, Policy

“Supporting households to reduce debt is not only important for those individuals and their families but will be at the heart of a functional housing market and prosperous economy.” Housing Repossessions Taskforce, Final Report, February 2015

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Repossession, Policy

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