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028 9024 5640: Housing & Debt Helpline for Northern Ireland

Summary of responses to developer contributions consultation

8 December 2014

The Department for Social Development (DSD) undertook a consultation exercise earlier this year seeking opinions on its proposed system to require that housing developers make contributions towards affordable housing in Northern Ireland. 

The consultation paper sought respondents views on 

  • the viability of the scheme
  • how the level of contributions should be set
  • the suggested threshold at which contributions should begin
  • whether contributions should be in the form of units of housing on the development in question or a commuted sum which would be diverted into building affordable housing elsewhere in Northern Ireland

Housing Rights view

Housing Rights  welcomed this long awaited consultation on proposals to introduce a developer contributions scheme for social and affordable housing in Northern Ireland. We believe the introduction of planning obligations to facilitate developer contributions presents an important opportunity to lever in additional investment for the provision of new social and affordable housing, particularly in this time of constrained public financing and sustained housing need.  We felt that, given the technical complexity of the proposals, we would recommend the establishment of a small stakeholder working group by DSD and DOE to advise on the design and delivery of the policy. 
 

Summary of responses

There were 75 responses to the consultation.  30% of responses were from developers and 20% of the response came from community groups or charities.  53% of respondents were broadly in favour of the proposal, with wide support from charities, community groups, housing associations and public bodies.  Many of the responses suggested that more detailed research needed to be conducted into these proposals before they could be adopted.   This research should focus on the impact of such a policy on the supply of affordable housing and on the house building industry in Northern Ireland.  

Find out more about the responses received by downloading the DSD's summary report. 

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NI Assembly

This article was written on 8 December 2014. It should not be relied on as a statement of the current law or policy position. For help with housing issues please contact our helpline on 028 9024 5640 or use our online chat service at www.housingadviceNI.org.