Latest Housing Statistics

The Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin which is produced each quarter by the Department for Social Development contains information on a range or areas including:

• new housing starts and completions,
• homelessness,
• the Residential Property Price Index, and
• new house sales and prices.

Some of the key findings of the latest edition of the Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin (for the period of October to December 2013) show that:

• The total number of new dwelling starts was 918, a decrease of 17% (185) on the previous quarter (July – September 2013);
• 4,667 households presented as homeless to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive during. This is a decrease of 165 (3%) from the previous quarter. Sharing breakdown and family dispute continues to be the biggest single reason for people presenting as homelessness.
• The number of households accepted by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive as homeless full duty applicants (FDA) was 1,931 - a decrease of 12% compared to the previous quarter. The main reasons for FDA being awarded were that the applicant’s current accommodation was unreasonable to occupy (30%) and sharing breakdown or family dispute (16%).
• Between Quarter 3 (July – September) 2013 and Quarter 4 (October – December) 2013 residential property prices remained the same.
• Residential property prices are now 9% lower than Quarter 1 2005, and less than half of the peak value of the housing market in Quarter 3 2007.