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When everyone has a home

028 9024 5640: Housing & Debt Helpline for Northern Ireland

Policy & Research

Our policy work is based on the experiences of people who contact us for advice. We work on their behalf to secure positive changes to housing legislation, policy and practice in Northern Ireland. You can read more about what we are striving to achieve in the coming year by downloading our policy priorities.

Below, you will find copies of policy briefings, consultation responses and research papers that Housing Rights has produced recently.

Preventing and alleviating homelessness in the face of COVID-19

Policy Briefing
September 2020

Recommendations to prevent and alleviate homelessness caused or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic

PDF icon Preventing_alleviating_homelessness_COVID_PolicyBriefing.pdf

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Coronavirus, Homelessness

How the Assembly can deal with housing problems created by Covid-19

Policy Briefing
March 2020

This briefing paper details the ways in which we foresee Covid-19 and associated economic fallout impacting on homelessness and housing in Northern Ireland. It includes measures which we believe Government can take to cushion some of the worst impacts and help vulnerable people at this unique and troubling time. 

PDF icon Policy briefing in response to Covid-19 20032020.pdf

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Benefits, Social Tenancies, Private Tenancies, Welfare Reform, Homelessness

NIHE Customer Support and Tenancy Sustainment Strategy Response

Consultation Response
February 2020

Housing Rights has responded to the Housing Executive's Draft Cusomter Support and Tenancy Sustainment Strategy for 2019 to 2022. We welcome the Strategy's focus on prevention of tenancy breakdown and homelessness and have made a number of recommendations in our response which we hope will help to ensure a commitment to tenancy sustainment across all tenures. 

PDF icon HousingRights_response_NIHE_Customer_Support_Tenancy_Sustainment022020.pdf

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Social Tenancies, Private Tenancies, Homelessness

Falling Behind: Local Housing Allowance research

Research Paper
October 2019

Falling Behind: Exploring the gap between Local Housing Allowance and the availability of affordable private rented accommodation in Northern Ireland.

This research shows that renting privately in Northern Ireland is becoming increasingly unaffordable for people who rely on housing benefit to pay their rent. Almost 9 out of 10 of rental properties are out of reach for people receiving Housing Benefit with the research showing that as little as 12% of properties in the sector would have their rent fully covered by the amount of benefit available.

 

PDF icon Falling behind Executive Summary 10 October.pdf
PDF icon Falling Behind LHA full research Oct 2019.pdf
PDF icon Falling-behind-policy-briefing-Oct19.pdf

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Benefits, Regulation, Research, Welfare Reform, Policy, Homelessness, Equality, Affordability

Housing Rights response to Department for Communities consultation on a revised definition of "affordable housing"

Consultation Response
September 2019

Housing Rights has responded to the Department for Communities’ consultation on the Definition of Affordable Housing.

The Consultation paper was produced by the Department to inform engagement on proposals for an updated definition of ‘affordable housing’ for Northern Ireland, with the aim of producing a clear definition which can be applied consistently in legislation, policy, local plans and practice.

Housing Rights welcomes the Department’s decision to put forward initial thoughts whilst also calling for additional evidence and insight from stakeholders to assist in policy refinement in this area.

 

PDF icon Housing_Rights_Consultation_Response_definition_affordable_housing_0819.pdf

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Policy

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