Media

Housing Rights works to achieve positive change by promoting and protecting the rights of people in housing need. We work to make sure that the voices of the people we help are heard and their problems are reported.

We are happy to provide spokespersons who can comment on a range of housing issues such as:

Welfare reform and housing
Finding accommodation
Homelessness
Repossession
Rights when renting privately
Housing conditions

If you would like information, comment, or would like to speak to one of our spokespeople email us at [email protected] or telephone 02890 245640.

Press releases

Below you'll find some of our recent press releases explaining the difficulties people in Northern Ireland face when trying to find or keep a suitable home.

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Audit Office report confirms ‘major’ welfare reform impact on housing

17 January 2019

Local housing advice charity, Housing Rights has welcomed the publication by the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) of its report into ‘Welfare Reforms in Northern Ireland’.

Commenting on the report, Policy and Practice Manager, Kate McCauley said;

“Our experience as a housing advice organisation is increasingly evidencing the devastating housing impact of welfare reform. We therefore welcome the finding by the NIAO that welfare reforms in Northern Ireland are ‘likely to have a major impact on housing’.

Top tips for students thinking about renting privately

16 August 2018

As students across NI get their “A” level results, local charity Housing Rights has come up with handy tips for anyone thinking about renting privately.

Many students heading off to College or University will choose to rent privately. The sector has grown rapidly in recent years and 21% of households now rent their homes.

Households worried about interest rate rise urged to get advice

2 August 2018

Local Charity Housing Rights is telling people worried about the recent interest rate rise to get free independent advice. This is the second rise to rates since 2007, the people who will be most adversely affected by this increase are those households with variable rate mortgages.

It's essential that households in this position understand their monthly mortgage payments will increase. On a mortgage of £125k today’s rate rise will mean homeowners will have to find another £15.50 a month to meet their repayment.

Homeowners urged to get advice as benefit changes to loan.

6 April 2018

A benefit that helps homeowners to pay the interest on their mortgage changes to a loan today. Local charity Housing Rights is urging households who may be affected to get advice. The charity’s helpline is already dealing with calls from homeowners who get the benefit, called Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI), who are unsure what the changes will mean for them.

NI Homeowners urged to get advice as benefit changes loom

7 February 2018

Local charity Housing Rights is urging homeowners who get help to pay their mortgage interest to seek advice, as the benefit will change to a loan this April. The charity’s helpline is already dealing with calls from homeowners who receive this benefit, called Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI), who are unsure what the changes will mean for them.

Recent figures reveal[1] that out of the 124,000 households receiving this benefit across the UK, just 6,850 have signed up to the new loan scheme.

NI mortgage borrowers urged to seek advice to avoid interest only timebomb

30 January 2018

Local charity Housing Rights is urging homeowners with interest only mortgages who do not have a repayment plan in place to contact them for free advice.

The call comes on the back of concerns expressed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) that a significant number of interest only customers may not be able to repay the capital at the end of their mortgage. According to the FCA nearly one in five mortgage customers have an interest only mortgage.

Ursula Toner, Advice Services Manager with Housing Rights, commented:

Free help with post Christmas housing debt

3 January 2018

Local charity Housing Rights is urging people who are worried about paying their mortgage or rent after Christmas to contact them for free advice.

Ursula Toner Advice Services Manager with Housing Rights commented: “We know that many people in Northern Ireland are struggling with debt and will often put off dealing with it until after Christmas. We want to let them know that free advice and assistance is available and the earlier they seek help the more options are available.”

Political leadership needed to address homelessness

21 November 2017

Local charity Housing Rights has welcomed the publication of a Northern Ireland Audit Office report on homelessness in Northern Ireland. The report examines the scale and nature of homelessness locally.

Political leadership needed to improve the private rented sector

14 November 2017

With 1 in 5 local people renting their homes from private landlords’ local charity Housing Rights is calling for political leadership to help improve the sector. A one day conference being held in Belfast today will look at how the sector could work better for the increasing numbers of people living in it.

Janet Hunter, Director with Housing Rights commented;

Older homeowners urged to get advice about benefit changing to loan

12 October 2017

Local charity Housing Rights is urging older people who get help paying the interest on their mortgage (Support for Mortgage Interest SMI) to seek advice as they receive notification of the benefit changing to a loan.

The Department for Communities will be sending out letters notifying older people about the change this weekend. Claimants will also be contacted by phone in the coming weeks in advance of the benefit ending.

Ursula Toner, Advice Services Manager with Housing Rights said:

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