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Homeless people waiting up to two years for permanent accommodation

There are currently 160,065 Full Duty Homeless Applicants registered on the social housing waiting list. Picture by Hugh Russell
There are currently 160,065 Full Duty Homeless Applicants registered on the social housing waiting list. Picture by Hugh Russell There are currently 160,065 Full Duty Homeless Applicants registered on the social housing waiting list. Picture by Hugh Russell

HOMELESS people are waiting for up to two years before finding permanent accommodation.

There are currently 16,000 people classified as homeless by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) waiting on social housing lists.

In the last year, the average time it took to accommodate these people was 18 months. In some areas, such as Belfast, the figure is close to two years.

The average length of stay in temporary housing, such as placements in hostels and shelters, was 260 days.

There are currently 5,684 units of temporary accommodation across the north in addition to 1,141 private-rented properties that can be acquired by the NIHE when necessary.

The latest figures were disclosed in a Freedom of Information request to the NIHE.

In October, The Irish News revealed that 53 people classified as homeless died while on waiting lists for accommodation in the last year.

Nichola Mallon, SDLP MLA for North Belfast, said that the situation was 'unacceptable' and called for the Stormont Executive to take action on the issue.

"I am working with families in north Belfast, who when faced with homelessness moved into hostels because they were told it was a temporary stop-gap," she said.

"One year, two years, three years on they are still living there. Trapped in temporary accommodation because there simply aren’t enough houses to meet the demand.

"A secure and good quality home is a fundamental human right. It is the glue which holds all aspects of your life together.

"Each one of these men, women and children are being failed. This Executive must make tackling homelessness a priority. Not just say it is a priority but back that commitment up with action."

The Citizen's Advice Bureau also echoed Mrs Mallon's call for action.

"It is unacceptable that people who have been judged by the Housing Executive to be unintentionally homeless, eligible for assistance and in priority need have to remain in temporary accommodation for an average of 18 months before they are offered social housing," they said in a statement.

The NIHE said it recognised the high demand for social housing and was working to address the issue.

"During 2015/16 in partnership with housing associations, we exceeded the target of 1,500 new social housing starts with an investment of £101 million enabling work to start on 1,568 homes," a spokesperson said.

"These high quality new homes will help to meet a range of needs for social housing. In the same period, 1,209 homes were also completed."