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When everyone has a home

028 9024 5640: Housing & Debt Helpline for Northern Ireland

March 2014

Zoë Anderson, Start360 - Impact of housing cuts on the young

26 March 2014

Zoë Anderson is the Communications Manager at Start360. Start360 is the new name for Opportunity Youth and is Northern Ireland’s leading provider of support services to young people, adult offenders and families in the community, providing a range of services and interventions in the areas of health, justice and the economy.

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Opinion

Zoë Anderson's three wishes

26 March 2014

Zoë Anderson is the Communications Manager at Start 360, the new name for Opportunity Youth.  Start360 is Northern Ireland’s leading provider of support services to young people, adult offenders and families in the community, providing a range of services and interventions in the areas of health, justice and the economy. Below she outlines her 3 wishes if asked for them by the housing genie.

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Housing Genie

ADVISER: Dealing with Discretionary Housing Payments

26 March 2014

We’ve seen a lot more enquires about Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) since the changes to Local Housing Allowance back in 2011.  These discretionary payments can be a real lifeline for tenants who are renting privately and relying on housing benefit to meet their housing costs. 

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Adviser

Looking to the future of dealing with Anti Social Behaviour

21 March 2014

Responses to the DSD proposals for a Housing (Anti Social Behaviour Bill) NI close on the 24 March 2014. Nicola McCrudden, Housing Rights Service Policy Manager, outlines her concerns about the content of these proposals.

The nature of anti social behaviour

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Social Tenancies, Policy, Homelessness, Opinion

Mags Lightbody named as NIHE interim Chief Executive

19 March 2014

The NIHE board has announced that Mags Lightbody will take up the role of interim Chief Executive in April.

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Social Tenancies

Bedroom tax appeals

18 March 2014

There’s a huge thirst for information about the bedroom tax and its possible impact here, as evidenced by our sold out briefing session last month.  At the session, we looked at some of the key arguments against this policy that have been heard by tribunals in Great Britain.  These cases will be of great interest to housing and welfare professionals.

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Social Tenancies, Welfare Reform, Legal

Social Housing Reform Programme summary research now available

10 March 2014

In January 2013 Nelson McCausland, the Minister for Social Development, announced proposals to radically change the way social housing is delivered in Northern Ireland.  A Social Housing Reform Programme (SHRP) was set up to look at the Minister’s proposals to establish a housing model

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Social Tenancies, Policy

Dealing with repairs in social and private tenancies

10 March 2014

In the course of a normal week, advisers at Housing Rights Service speak with about 150 callers who are experiencing some kind of housing problem.  Often these people are ringing out of frustration because they are having serious difficulties getting repairs done or they’re hugely disappointed with the standard of work that’s been done in their homes.

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Social Tenancies, Private Tenancies

41% of Northern Ireland homeowners trapped by negative equity

6 March 2014

A report produced by HML mortgage group states that over half a million households in the UK are affected by negative equity.  

Northern Ireland is the region most severely affected with 41% of homeowners, around 68,000 people, owing more than the current market value of their home.

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Repossession

Affordable warmth consultation events

3 March 2014

A number of consultation events are just about to get underway to look at new proposals for the operation and administration for the provision of energy efficiency improvements for low income households.

The events are being held as part of a consultation process which is looking at targeting help at low income households, regardless of whether they are in receipt of benefits. The events are being held as follows:

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Affordability