Department for Communities: Housing waiting list in NI passes 50,000

The social housing waiting list in Northern Ireland has now exceeded 50,000 households, according to recent official data released by the Department for Communities. This increase represents more than a 30% rise over the past ten years, underscoring the severity of the ongoing housing crisis in the region. The figures reveal a growing demand for social housing while the supply of new properties struggles to keep pace.

A notable shift has taken place in the makeup of those on the waiting list. Over 33,000 individuals are classified as “full duty applicants” (FDA), a status indicating homelessness, although it does not necessarily mean people are sleeping rough. Instead, many are living in temporary or unstable accommodation while waiting for the Housing Executive to fulfill its legal responsibility to rehouse them. The number of people with FDA status has more than doubled within the last decade.

The Housing Executive has set a government program target to begin construction on 5,850 social homes by 2027. However, current building rates suggest that meeting this goal will be a significant challenge. Experts and representatives from housing organizations have expressed concern over the situation, emphasizing that immediate and coordinated responses are required. Deirdre Canavan from the charity Depaul described the crisis as “deepening” and stressed the importance of substantial action, alongside concerns about ongoing budget uncertainties that threaten existing services.

Ciarán Fox, director of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA), highlighted a disappointing lack of progress, noting that the promised homeless action plan due by March 2025 has yet to materialize 18 months on. He called for government policies that incentivize the reuse of derelict buildings to increase housing stock. Meanwhile, Seamus Leheny, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations, pointed to socio-economic factors and private rental market pressures driving demand. He urged the development of affordable housing to assist those unlikely to receive social housing. Political voices, including Sinn Féin’s Colm Gildernew and SDLP’s Mark H Durkan, voiced alarm at the worsening crisis and called for urgent ministerial attention, warning that these statistics represent real families struggling to secure stable homes

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