Northern Ireland

Call for more social housing in north Belfast

Frank Dempsey and Gerard Brophy pictured in north Belfast. Picture by Mark Marlow.
Frank Dempsey and Gerard Brophy pictured in north Belfast. Picture by Mark Marlow. Frank Dempsey and Gerard Brophy pictured in north Belfast. Picture by Mark Marlow.

Housing campaigners in north Belfast have renewed a call for potential development sites in the area to be made available for local homes.

The call came after a mural was put up along a main thoroughfare in the north of the city highlighting the local housing crisis.

In recent years several sites originally earmarked for social housing in the area were later used to develop student accommodation.

Campaigner Frank Dempsey, of Carrick Hill Residents' Association, last night called for local homes to be built on three sites in the area.

The residents spokesman said a decision on the future of the potential development land will be decided by the Department for Communities (DfC), which is headed by Sinn Féin's Deirdre Hargey.

Mr Dempsey said agreement had been reached to build homes at a DfC owned site at Library Street while a hotel and supermarket was to be developed at a carpark close to North Street, again controlled by DfC.

Houses were also to be provided a site close to Stephen Street, which is owned by Belfast City Council.

However, Mr Dempsey said that despite the blueprint, DfC subsequently asked several housing associations to come up with proposals for the sites.

He said local people fear the sites could now be used to develop high rise accommodation rather than family homes.

"Blocks of flats will not be acceptable to the people of Carrick Hill and to people on housing waiting lists," he said.

"What we need and demand is proper social housing instead of being cooped up like chickens."

Mr Dempsey said organisations involved in the housing issue need to speak to people forced to live in high rise apartment block accommodation.

Other campaigners in the area have also lent their voice to the call.

Gerard Brophy from St Patrick's and St Joseph's Housing Committee said there needs to be a "proper mix of social housing".

"The sites should have been developed a long time ago," he said.

Mr Brophy said the loss of other sites zoned for social housing has had an impact.

"It's been a disaster for people on social housing lists," he said.

"Every time a site becomes available and every time we get down to negotiations someone pulls the rug from under us.

"The only people who suffer are families on the waiting list for years."

North Belfast SDLP MLA Nichola Mallon said she has been campaigning for housing along with the local community.

"We have a housing crisis in North Belfast and we need to be building many more good quality homes as quickly as we can," she said.

"Our concern is that the decision to lump these three sites into one package will only add to further delay when it comes to getting badly needed homes built. That is proving to be the case elsewhere."

Ms Mallon said there was also concern that "in the drive to make things profitable and a focus on quantity over quality, high rise flats will be built on these sites".

"This is not what the local community and homeless families in north Belfast need," she said.

A DfC spokeswoman said: "“Officials from the department along with Belfast City Council and NIHE (Northern Ireland Housing Executive) representatives have met with local residents and political representatives to discuss the approach to the development of these sites and further opportunities will arise in the near future around the scheme design for this cluster of sites. 

"Assessment on suitability of any proposed scheme will include how it meets the demands of the current Social Housing Waiting List, the local community should therefore be assured that any proposed development will include social housing, including units suitable for families.”

  • This article was amended on June 14 2021