Derry leads the way on accessible housing with 17% of all new builds in the north

New figures released by the housing minister Deirdre Hargey show that between 2017/18 and 2021/22 there were more accessible social property completions in Foyle than in any other constituency.

Indeed 17 per cent (39 properties) of 233 completions across the north over the five years were in Derry.

The total number of completions in the city in each of the five years was as follows: 2017/18 (five); 2018/19 (two); 2019/20 (16); 2020/21 (nine); and 2021/22 (seven).

North Down and Strangford were the only constituencies that came close to matching Derry with 28 and 20 new accessible social housing completions over the five years respectively.

In the four Belfast constituencies taken together there were only 52 new builds: East Belfast (16); North Belfast (11); South Belfast (nine); and West Belfast (16).

Three were built in West Tyrone: one in 2017/18 and two in 2019/20.

In East Derry the figure was nine with three in 2020/21 and six in 2021/22.

Mid Ulster had the worst record in the north over the five years. Zero social homes accessible for people with disabilities were completed in that constituency over the five years.

The revelation follows a report in the ‘Journal’ last month that fifty-four four-bedroom social homes were built in Derry over the past five years - the highest total of any constituency in the north.

A quarter of 214 new-builds across the north were in Derry. There were two new build properties in Derry in 2017/18; 32 in 2018/19; 10 in 2019/20; 10 in 2020/21; and zero in 2021/22.

Twenty-five per cent of four bed social housing builds in Derry