Social Tenancies

Shaping Social Housing: Involving Communities - conference report

10 March 2015

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

Involving Communities Conference catch-up

9 March 2015

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

Involving communities to shape social housing

15 January 2015

Tenant and customer participation in social housing has moved up the agenda with the release of the Department for Social Development’s (DSD) consultation "A Tenant Participation Strategy for Northern Ireland: 2015 – 2020" as part of its Social Housing Reform Programme.

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Social Tenancies, Policy

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:

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Social Tenancies, Policy, NI Assembly

Get help at court if you're facing repossession or eviction

11 November 2014

Going to court and facing the possibility of eviction or repossession creates unimaginable stress for many people. Every day Housing Rights Service sends two specialist advisers, Maria and Eamonn, out to court hearings across Northern Ireland to offer free advice and representation to people who are attending court to try to save their homes.

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Repossession, Social Tenancies, Private Tenancies

Latest housing stats published

24 October 2014

The Department for Social Development has published the Northern Ireland Housing Statistics for 2013/14. These can be downloaded from the DSD website.

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Research, Social Tenancies, Private Tenancies, Homelessness, Affordability

DSD briefs Social Development Committee on allocations plans

23 October 2014

Housing Rights Service played host to the Committee for Social Development today. During the meeting, Dr Heloise Brown and Paul Price from the Department of Social Development (DSD) summarised public responses to recent proposals to reform the allocation system for social housing and answered members' questions on this issue.

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Research, Social Tenancies, Policy, NI Assembly

Responses to proposals to reform allocations system

15 October 2014

In December 2013 the Department for Social Development (DSD) published an independent research report outlining recommended changes to the current social housing allocations system. DSD invited stakeholders to respond to the recommendations contained therein and have now release a summary of these responses.

Recommendations with high level of support

A number of the proposals in the paper were popular with respondents. These included

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Social Tenancies, Policy, Landlord

Next steps in social housing reform?

19 September 2014

As part of the ongoing review of the Housing Executive, it is anticipated that up to 2000 NIHE dwellings will transfer to housing associations. The rationale behind this transfer is that housing associations can access private sector funds to bankroll the improvements that some of the older NIHE dwellings desperately need.