Further Boost for New Housing Agenda in December
December 09 was a bumper month for addressing the housing crisis. There was a lot happening you may have missed it whilst shopping for Christmas.
The New Housing Agenda is Margaret Ritchie’s number one priority. Various schemes and projects have been launched to make house buying easy and a lot of money has been asked for by the Minister, to increase the number of social houses.
So what happened in December?
The month kicked off with the Minister handing over a cheque for £70,000 to the Council for the Homeless Northern Ireland (CHNI). This money will to be given to a wide range of organizations who support people in Northern Ireland.
In support of the Minister’s New Housing Agenda, the European Investment Bank announced that they were investing £30 million towards a number of housing projects across Northern Ireland. This excellent news was revealed when Minister Ritchie was hosting a UK and Ireland wide ‘Housing Work Stream’ ministerial meeting to discuss social housing.
Later that week, the Irish Environment Minister visited Northern Ireland to see the good work done on energy efficient homes in Holywood. An example of not only how impressed other governments are with the work done on housing but on the forward thinking of keeping things ‘green’ in the process.
In the second week of December the Minister went to you, the general public, to seek your views on new Housing legislation. The consultation document set out plans for cutting fuel bills for social tenants, offering more choice and improving the regulation of the private rented sector to tackle anti-social behaviour. At the time of the announcement Minister stated that she was on course to build more housing than at any time over the last ten years.
Two new social housing developments in Derry City are to benefit to the tune of £23 million the Minister announced on 9th December 2009. Housing schemes in the bogside and Galliagh area are to see 187 new homes over the next 2 years. All of them will benefit from the latest energy saving design and features. At the time North and West Housing had just completed 20 homes and a further 43 are to be released by April at Dove Gardens.
Back in Belfast, still only in the second week of the month, an announcement was made that £25 million was being used to redevelop the former Bass Brewery. The site up the Glen Road in West Belfast had employed many people over the years. This new development will not only bring jobs but will add a further 166 new homes to the area in a mixed use area. Mixed use is where businesses, shops and housing of various types such as family homes and apartments are all brought together into the one area.
In Enniskillen, seven new family homes were opened by the Minister at Sycamore Drive. The houses, built by Ulidia Housing were to Eco Homes standard with added security and flexibility of adaptation for residents.
And finally, the details a £100 million package at the end of December about the regeneration of housing across the Village area of South Belfast was unveiled. A total of 538 old homes will be demolished and replaced. In their place will be 273 new homes built to the latest design. Many other homes will be refurbished.
Many more new homes will continue to be opened in 2010. Budgets will no doubt continue to be under pressure and more and more new and innovative ways will be sought to ensure that those in need of housing get housing.
Keep watching our press releases for more news on housing during 2010. Let’s hope it’s a happy and prosperous one for all.
J Dempsey
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