Joint call is made for a housing outcome in Programme for Government

Following on from our recent ‘Housing Matters’ event, which looked at the housing aspects of the Draft Programme for Government, Housing Rights together with Council for the Homeless (NI), CIH and NIFHA have submitted a joint letter to the Communities Minister, Paul Givan MLA, highlighting our view that housing needs to be included as a strategic outcome in the Programme for Government.

At present, housing is not included as one of the 14 proposed strategic outcomes. We find this lack of emphasis on housing disappointing, especially considering that housing is a fundamental need which is also integral to the framework’s objective of improving wellbeing for all. As representatives of the housing sector we strongly believe that “we have good quality, affordable homes for everyone” should be included as a strategic outcome.

Including housing as an outcome could also ensure greater inter-departmental working to deliver good housing in the spirit of the framework’s collaborative approach.

We call on the Minister to raise this issue with the Executive, with a view to securing housing as an outcome. We believe that its inclusion would ensure a key focus on securing good quality, affordable homes over the next five years of the current mandate.