November 2013

Pat has been Director of NEA NI for eight years. She has worked with Government sitting on the previous Fuel Poverty Advisory Group and the now Cross Sectorial Fuel Poverty Partnership Group where she chairs the Affordable Warmth Thematic Action Group.

Private tenancies in Northern Ireland are generally divided into two categories:

Research carried out by the University of York and Heriot-Watt University into how local authorities in England assess medical evidence when making a decision on the vulnerability of homeless applicants makes for interesting reading.

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.

I recently met Teresa, a lone parent and Housing Executive tenant in rent arrears.  Teresa was at risk of possession and really needed help. 

Teresa was having difficulties paying her rent because she was under a lot of financial pressure and she had debts including a couple of payday loans which she’d taken out to tide her over at a time when she was finding things particularly tough.