Question Time - Public housing

Tuesday 25 May 2010

(Social Development)

The Savills report found that local public housing stock was the best they had ever inspected.

Mr Burns: I congratulate the Minister on his appointment. Will he tell us what he considers to be the main findings that can be drawn from the Savills report to assist the development of housing policy in Northern Ireland?

The Minister for Social Development (Alex Attwood): As I said earlier, I recommend that Members read the Savills report, which is the most comprehensive survey of its kind ever undertaken here. It was a stock condition survey of over 90,000 Housing Executive properties. Therefore, given that range, it gives us a very detailed evidence base to develop a new maintenance investment strategy, and, in particular, it will enable the Housing Executive and the Department to target its resources where they will have most impact and most benefit.

I am proud of the fact that, because of the investment in the Housing Executive stock over the years, the Savills research team was able to conclude that the condition of the housing stock was the best that it had ever seen. That is a very powerful testimony to the work of the Housing Executive since its formation. That is not to deny that there still remain areas of need, that there are still issues of overcrowding and that there are still 37,000 people on the housing transfer waiting list. However, the conclusion I draw from all of that is that, if we have successfully invested in the housing stock so that the Savills team was able to draw that conclusion, we must maintain that and protect it, not put it in jeopardy. We must invest our money in the best possible way; however, budgetary negotiations must not in any way, shape or form put in doubt the historic achievement of turning round the housing situation in this part of Ireland.