Our Homes, Our Future: Protecting Public Housing

Since the formation of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) in 1971, housing has never been in as large a crisis as it is now. House building is at its lowest level for over forty years. Nearly 20,000 individuals and families apply for housing each year because they are homeless. The number of houses lacking at least one basic amenity has been rising and is at its highest level since 1987. There are over 37,000 waiting for social housing, of which a record number are in housing stress. Last year saw homeless people dying on the streets of Belfast.