Derry facing 'temporary accommodation crisis' says councillor

Councillor Doyle warned that those needing temporary accommodation in the city will spend more and more time in B&Bs and hotels due to increasingly low numbers of single let and leased properties.

Chief Executive of the Housing Executive, Grainia Long said that although there have been sustained levels of investment in new social housing in the north, the gap between housing demand and supply ‘continues to widen’.

Following a briefing by the Chief Executive of the Housing Executive, Colr. Doyle said: “I am quite concerned that more and more housing applicants who need temporary accommodation are being placed in unsuitable hostel, hotel or B&B accommodation.“Over the last year of the 1,161 placement in temporary accommodation, the vast majority (756) were to hotel/bed and breakfast accommodation with less than 19% being placed in single let properties (181) or leased properties (38).“I know the Housing Executive is under extreme pressure not just in Derry but regionally, but it is unacceptable that so many people - some with small families - are spending what can be a long time in hotel rooms. We need to be able to secure single let and leased properties in the city that meet the high standards of the Housing Executive and anyone being able to offer such accommodation should come forward.”

Housing Executive Chief Executive, Grainia Long, said: “We invested over £195m in 2021/22, the highest level of investment since 2007/08 and - for the first time in 20 years – we will soon commence building new homes for social rent via a pilot project.

“In Derry and Strabane, we invested £9.4m on planned maintenance including stock improvements last year, with a further £4.8m spent on response maintenance. Over the past two years, we’ve provided a wide range of assistance to tenants and communities, supporting them through the Covid-19 pandemic. As we emerge from the pandemic, we continue to proactively engage with and support tenants who face additional ‘cost of living’ and lifestyle adjustment pressures.”

The Housing Executive, through the Supporting People programme, invested £8.52m to fund 81 Housing Support Services across the Derry City and Strabane District Council area, providing housing support to 1,957 clients last year.

“Across the district, 1,212 people who presented as homeless were accepted for support last year. A strategic shift in favour of homelessness prevention and early intervention is critical if we’re to provide a sustainable model of provision to prevent homelessness.

“Last year, £66.52m was invested in new-build accommodation in the district; with 398 housing starts getting underway, 1,330 units on-site at March 2022, while housing completions for the year were 148. Waiting lists for social housing, as well as levels of homelessness, have risen significantly in recent years and show little sign of falling. Despite sustained levels of investment in new social housing across Northern Ireland, the gap between housing demand and supply continues to widen."

For more information, visit nihe.gov.uk.