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When everyone has a home

028 9024 5640: Housing & Debt Helpline for Northern Ireland

Regulation

Text reads we helped prevent 1027 households from homelessness

At Housing Rights we believe that everyone should have a home, and we work tirelessly to keep people in their homes and help them with their housing problems.

Our 2021-22 Impact Card outlines the positive impact that Housing Rights had on people’s lives over the course of the year.

As a result of our work between March 2021 to April 2021:

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Benefits, Regulation, Social Tenancies, Private Tenancies, Policy, Homelessness, Adviser

Last month, the UK government announced that households in Northern Ireland will get a one-off payment of £600 to help with rising energy costs. The government is delivering the Energy Bills Support Scheme in the absence of an executive at Stormont. 

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Benefits, Money Matters, Regulation, Social Tenancies, Private Tenancies, Affordability, Adviser

Policy Priorities for a new NI Assembly Mandate

As we look to a new assembly mandate, Housing Rights have identified a set of key policy asks necessary to deliver good quality, affordable, sustainable homes for people across Northern Ireland over the next five years. These key asks are informed by the experience of people using our advice services.

With the ongoing impact of the pandemic continuing to be felt alongside the devastating impact of the cost of living crisis on people living on low incomes the need to address housing problems and homelessness is more important than ever.
 

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Benefits, Legislation, Regulation, Policy, Homelessness, Affordability, NI Assembly
Drawing of person standing by front door. An eviction notice is pinned to the door.

Last week the Private Tenancies Bill passed its final stage and is waiting for royal assent. The only immediate change this will bring is to notice periods for private tenancies.

From May 5 2022 landlords will have to give

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Legislation, Regulation, Private Tenancies, Policy, NI Assembly, Adviser

The Chartered Institute of Housing NI, Homeless Connect, Housing Rights and the NI Federation of Housing Associations have issued a joint statement expressing concern that the political situation at Stormont will impact on both the Private Tenancies Bill and the welfare mitigations legislation.

Housing Rights response to Department for Communities consultation on notice to quit

We have responded to the Department for Communities consultation on notice to quit.

The Private Tenancies Bill extends the notice to quit period from 28 days to 8 weeks, for tenancies lasting longer than 12 months. The 12-week notice period for tenancies of more than 10 years will stay the same. The DfC’s consultation is to investigate whether 8 weeks is enough time for a tenant to find a suitable home.

Read our response.

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Legislation, Regulation, Policy, Homelessness, NI Assembly
Picture of Stormont Parliament Buildings

Housing Rights this morning gave evidence to the NI Assembly Communities Committee on the new Private Tenancies Bill.

The Bill contains 11 substantive clauses and three schedules which provide for a series of amendments to the Private Tenancies Order (Northern Ireland) 2006. Housing Rights has welcomed the Bill as an important first step in addressing the issues facing many private renters in Northern Ireland.

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Legislation, Regulation, Private Tenancies, Policy, NI Assembly

The Communities Minister has called for evidence to inform a new housing supply strategy. 

Minister Hargey describes the strategy as an essential part of the Department’s “ambitious and radical shake-up of housing”.  

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Regulation, Social Tenancies, Policy, Homelessness

The ‘Perfect Storm’: The impact of Covid-19 on private renters

A new report on the impact of Covid-19 on private renters in Northern Ireland, shows that those living in the private rented sector have been disproportionately affected, caught in the ‘perfect storm’ of low incomes (often as a result of job losses, furlough or reduced hours), job insecurity and tenure insecurity. In part this may be due to the increasing proportion of low income households in the private rented sector, and as such a policy change in favour of social and affordable housing will be key to a post Covid-19 recovery. The research has also shown that the support that many households received has been immensely helpful, but it has also shown us that it is important to remember that we may all be in the same storm, but we are definitely not in the same boat.

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Coronavirus, Legislation, Regulation, Research, Private Tenancies, Policy

A new report on the impact of Covid-19 on private renters in Northern Ireland is launched today. The research uses evidence from case records relating to clients who contacted Housing Rights during the period March-June 2020 and shows that those living in the private rented sector have been disproportionately affected, caught in the ‘perfect storm’ of low incomes (often as a result of job losses, furlough or reduced hours), job insecurity and tenure insecurity.

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Coronavirus, Legislation, Regulation, Research, Private Tenancies, Affordability

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