The Executive has been accused of “gaslighting the public” over social housing figures after claiming that 1,400 new homes would be built this financial year.
It follows comments made by Finance Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald during the October monitoring round.
On November 11, she said: “Given the importance of social housing, £24m is being allocated to help enable the delivery of 1,400 houses in this financial year.”
Responses to Assembly Questions tabled by SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan to both the Minister of Finance and Minister for Communities have cast doubt on those figures.
Dr Archibald said: “The figure of 1,400 new social home starts referred to reflects discussions that took place between DoF (Department of Finance) and DfC (Department for Communities) officials as part of the October monitoring process.
“It was always clear that this is an assessment of the final total that could potentially be achieved given the new allocation in October monitoring.
“The actual figure of new social home starts will not be available until the year has finished and relies on the delivery of projects on the ground, including land purchases, planning and construction which may be subject to delays or cost increases.”
Northern Ireland’s Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald (PA)
But when Communities Minister Gordon Lyons was asked how the target of 1,400 new homes was determined, he said it had not yet been set.
He was also pressed on whether he had engaged with the Housing Executive prior to setting this figure and asked if the potential costs of water and wastewater connections had been considered as part of this calculation.
In response, Mr Lyons said his department had “not yet set a target for new social homes based on the recently announced increased allocation” and it would be set following engagement with the Housing Executive.
Around 47,000 households are on the social housing waiting list in NI which, when adjusted for population size, is proportionately much worse than 58,000 in the Republic.
In Derry, around 6,000 applicants are on the waiting list and the Communities Minister has said that around 1,800 new social homes in the city are facing delays due to ongoing issues with NI Water infrastructure. Mr Durkan said: “The Minister of Finance’s excessive use of terms like ‘could’, ‘potentially’, and ‘actual figures’ suggests a clear effort to backtrack her earlier claims that this allocation would result in the construction of 1,400 homes.
“At no point did she clarify that this was merely an assessment.
“In fact, during the October monitoring round, when I sought clarification, she stated that the figure was provided by the DfC.
“It would now appear that the DfC has neither set a target nor engaged with the Housing Executive regarding the social housing allocation.
“Not only is the Executive gaslighting the public about the reality of the housing crisis, but they seem to be misleading one another. Sadly, ministers seem to be in the habit of plucking figures out of thin air, presenting numbers without proper analysis.
“This was the case with the Housing Supply Strategy which promised to deliver 100,000 homes in 15 years.”
SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan
The Foyle MLA added: “Two years on, it’s clear this strategy, which is yet to be published, is undeliverable.
“The delivery of homes relies on water and sewerage capacity, but with no resolution in sight for the escalating funding crisis at NI Water, areas with the greatest housing need, such as Derry and Strabane, will be the hardest hit. The Executive’s delivery and accountability in terms of housing continues to fall woefully short.
“Inconsistency has been their only constant when it comes to housing.
“People expect and deserve better from their government. If they can’t be honest with themselves, what hope is there that they’ll be transparent with every person and family languishing on the housing waiting lists in appalling conditions?
“At a time when homeless families in my own constituency are being told they’ll have to leave temporary hotels over Christmas, the blasé approach from leadership adds insult to injury.”