Locals locked out as Housing Executive prefers outsiders to community in need - councillor
A settled community is being broken up as the Housing Executive is drafting in outsiders, despite the body officially stating that locals are in need of new homes.
That’s according to a politician representing the area, who says much-needed properties are going to people from many miles away – forcing locals born and reared in the area to look elsewhere.
Lisburn North councillor Gary Hynds blames the Housing Executive’s policies for the situation, saying: “Their allocation system is fundamentally flawed.”
Officials have sought to defend that system, stating decisions on who gets homes are “made in a fair and impartial manner and based on housing need”.
According to Mr Hynds, the body has concluded his district has a “community need” for social homes – yet, he says, regularly hands its properties in the area to people from far outside Lisburn, leaving that very community wanting.
“The Housing Executive’s flawed allocation system undermines its own recognition of community housing needs, such as in Lisburn North,” he told the News Letter. “By prioritising outsiders over local residents, it betrays its purpose, misallocates resources, and neglects the very communities it claims to serve.
“Prioritising local housing for local people is not controversial. It fosters strong, settled communities, a benefit those in power inexplicably fail to recognise.”
When he’s raised the issue with the Housing Executive, he adds, they’ve told him the people being moved in have “strong links” to the community. Mr Hynds, a Lisburn North resident, says a lot of the time that’s not the case.
“I have challenged this suggestion,” he said. “I’m someone who lives within the heart of our community, and have eyes and ears. I know full well what is really happening.”
He’s now calling for a provincewide policy change, which may have to come from Stormont, to “fix these fundamental and damaging flaws for the benefit of my community, and the many more like it around Northern Ireland who are in real need and being let down”.
Contacted by the News Letter, a senior Housing Executive figure moved to reassure the public over the issue – though the specific issues faced in Lisburn North that Mr Hynds raised weren’t addressed, nor did the body provide an asked-for definition of what it means by “strong community links” in the context of people moving into an area from far outside it.
Director of housing services, Jennifer Hawthorne, stated the body understands “challenges with housing supply” across the province are frustrating for people on social home waiting lists.
“However, we would like to provide reassurance that allocations to all new developments will be in line with the housing selection scheme,” she said.
“The scheme sets out the rules which ensure allocations to Housing Executive and Housing Association homes are made in a fair and impartial manner and are based on housing need.
“We welcome the opportunity to brief elected representatives on how the social housing system in Northern Ireland is administered.
“If any elected representative needs clarification on social housing allocations, they can contact their local area manager and they will be happy to assist them, or their constituents.
“Additionally, our website carries extensive information on how social homes are allocated. This can be found under the ‘applying for a home’ section at nihe.gov.uk.”