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| Homeless on rise as prices spiral | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Nearly 5,000 households in Northern Ireland are now homeless, according to a new report. | |
| Spiralling prices and investors have made the homeless, home owners, migrant workers and first-time buyers all vulnerable, the Housing Executive said. | Spiralling prices and investors have made the homeless, home owners, migrant workers and first-time buyers all vulnerable, the Housing Executive said. |
| Housing problems will get worse unless many more affordable houses are built, the executive has warned. | Housing problems will get worse unless many more affordable houses are built, the executive has warned. |
| About 4,782 households are homeless, according to the NI Housing Market Review and Perspectives 2007-2010. | |
| The report was published on Tuesday, the day before Sir John Semple's final assessment on affordable housing in Northern Ireland was due to be released. | The report was published on Tuesday, the day before Sir John Semple's final assessment on affordable housing in Northern Ireland was due to be released. |
| The NIHE review states that in six months, 523 more households had joined the homeless list. | |
| It also said the number of first-time buyers had almost halved since 2001. | It also said the number of first-time buyers had almost halved since 2001. |
| "Spiralling house prices, coupled with an extremely active investor market has let to a growing affordability problem throughout Northern Ireland," Paddy McIntyre, chief executive of NIHE, said. | "Spiralling house prices, coupled with an extremely active investor market has let to a growing affordability problem throughout Northern Ireland," Paddy McIntyre, chief executive of NIHE, said. |
| "For the first time, average house prices are higher than for the UK as a whole." | "For the first time, average house prices are higher than for the UK as a whole." |
| Housing call | Housing call |
| Mr McIntyre warned that the number of Northern Ireland people classed as facing "housing stress" would keep rising until there was a significant increase in the construction of new, affordable houses. | Mr McIntyre warned that the number of Northern Ireland people classed as facing "housing stress" would keep rising until there was a significant increase in the construction of new, affordable houses. |
| The review shows that 15,700 people on the social housing list are classed as being in "housing stress". | |
| David Hanson, minister for Social Development, said the findings were a base for housing policy decisions in a future Northern Ireland Assembly. | David Hanson, minister for Social Development, said the findings were a base for housing policy decisions in a future Northern Ireland Assembly. |
| "The market, in certain ways and at certain times, fails to satisfy the needs of communities. | "The market, in certain ways and at certain times, fails to satisfy the needs of communities. |
| "It sometimes fails to meet the minimum standards our society sets for a decent home or fails to produce the necessary quantity of housing impacting most on those who are vulnerable or are just 'starting out'," he said. | "It sometimes fails to meet the minimum standards our society sets for a decent home or fails to produce the necessary quantity of housing impacting most on those who are vulnerable or are just 'starting out'," he said. |