The latest NI housing statistics

The latest Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin has just been published by DSD for the period April to June 2013. The Bulletin is produced each quarter by the Department and contains information on new housing starts and completions, homelessness, the Residential Property Price Index and new house sales and prices. The figures confirm increases in new building starts and completions and although there has been a decrease in the numbers presenting as homeless, there has been a slight increase in those accepted as Full Duty Applicants (FDAs).

Housing statistics summary

• The total number of new dwelling starts was 1,141, an increase of 15% on the same period in 2012.
• The total number of new dwelling completions was 1,999, an increase of 52% on the same period in 2012.
• In total, 4,623 households presented as homeless to the Housing Executive during April to June 2013. This is a decrease of 300 (6%) from the previous quarter. The reason category with the highest number of presenters (849) was those citing a sharing breakdown or family dispute as the reason for homelessness.
• The number of households accepted by the Housing Executive as full duty applicants for the quarter April to June 2013 was 2,165, an increase of 2% compared to the previous quarter. The reason categories with the highest proportion of full duty applicants were those citing accommodation not reasonable (28%) and those citing a sharing breakdown or family dispute (17%). Of those accepted as full duty applicants during the quarter 269 were discharged.
• In the second quarter of 2013, the Northern Ireland Residential Property Price Index stands at 89. Between Quarter 1 (January - March) 2013 and Quarter 2 (April - June) 2013 residential property prices rose by 2%.
• For the second quarter of 2013, the standardised residential property price is 3% lower than the same quarter in 2012 and 11% lower than in the first quarter of 2005.

Further information can be found on the DSD website.