Social Tenancies

Brenda Parker is a Housing Advice Development Worker for Housing Rights Service and works at HMP Maghaberry.  She recently attended the European Housing First Conference held in Berlin in October. There are Housing First projects operating throughout the UK, Europe, Canada and the USA. 

Below, Brenda explains how learning about Housing First has inspired a change in her perspective on homelessness solutions for prisoners.

Earlier this year the Minister for Social Development, Nelson McCausland, announced a series of proposals to reform social housing in Northern Ireland. In his statement, the Minister said “...change in structures is required to ensure we can continue to deliver well maintained housing stock, improve the focus on strategy and ensure value for money for taxpayers in the future.”

Over the last few of weeks, a number of challenges to the ‘bedroom tax’ have been heard in Great Britain. The bedroom tax is a new measure introduced under the Government’s programme of welfare reform whereby the amount of Housing Benefit which a social tenant receives will be reduced if they are regarded as under-occupying their home. The bedroom tax has not yet been introduced in Northern Ireland.