THE Housing Executive has warned that budget cuts will make it "virtually impossible" to provide services to tackle homelessness, while households "in most need" will also be impacted by a lack of funding for issues including fuel poverty.
Homeless services now face a shortfall of £7.4 million, the Housing Executive has said, following the Department for Communities’ Budget 2023/4 Equality Impact Assessment.
The department is facing a £111.2 million funding gap following the recent budget by Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris.
Funding cuts will also mean challenges in meeting social housing building targets, the Housing Executive's chief executive Grainia Long said, adding that a social housing allocation of between £141.6m and £159m is "likely", despite a funding requirement of £199.5m required to meet targets for the year ahead.
The proposed budget will "result in substantially fewer social homes started than originally planned for next year, an increase in people needing temporary accommodation and the effective suspension of the boiler replacement scheme", she warned.
“The funding challenge outlined in the draft budget comes at a time when the cost of living crisis is continuing to impact on many households across Northern Ireland," Ms Long said.
"As housing professionals we are concerned about the impact that the proposed budget cuts will have across society but specifically on those individuals who need our help most: people with disabilities; young people leaving care; the increasing number of young women presenting as homeless; households in rural areas; those in fuel poverty; and vulnerable groups, including older people."
She said the funding shortfall means "it will be virtually impossible to provide services to prevent homelessness, with the overwhelming proportion of the homelessness budget focused on response".
Figures released last November show that more than 15,500 households in the north sought help from the Housing Executive in the previous year.
"Perversely, failure to fund prevention services will lead to greater numbers living in expensive temporary accommodation, leading to greater budgetary pressures," she said.
"We will of course work to minimise any disruption to services and programmes of work, however, it is our view that the proposed expenditure as it stands will have an adverse impact on the most vulnerable people across Northern Ireland, who are urgently in need of housing services," Ms Long added.
The Irish News contacted the Department for Communities.
Read more: Figures reveal 15,500 households sought help from Housing Executive in last year due to homelessness
