Housing Rights secures funding to give NI renters a voice

Housing Rights has been successful in securing funding to strengthen the voice of those renting privately in Northern Ireland.

Kate McCauley, Policy & Practice Manger with Housing Rights welcomed the funding:

“We are delighted to have been awarded this funding.  We want to build on previous work undertaken with private tenants and believe that tenants, particularly those who experience the greatest disadvantage because of their housing circumstances, have a vital role in shaping the changes required in the sector. As a result of this 3 year funding we will be able to work directly with tenants to support them to participate in and influence policy and practice debates that relate to the housing issues they face.”

Northern Ireland’s private rented sector has grown dramatically and is now home to over 136,000 households, many of whom are on low incomes or are vulnerable.  One in three of all the calls received by Housing Rights helpline come from people who are renting privately.

“Despite the unprecedented growth in the local private rented sector it has received comparatively little policy attention from government and Northern Ireland continues to lag behind other regions in terms of regulation and support. We look forward to involving tenants in helping address this.”

The funding has been awarded by the Nationwide Foundation, an independent charity that is supporting private rented sector tenants by giving them a stronger voice in the debates on their personal housing issues or in housing matters in their local area. The foundation helps tenants whose personal characteristics and circumstances mean that they cannot avoid the potential problems of living in the private rented sector - such as insecurity, poor living conditions, high costs and severe lack of choice - and which therefore puts them at increased risk of harm.

The Housing Rights NI Renters Voice project will commence in October 2019. We are currently recruiting for a Renters Voice Co-ordinator.