Blog
 March 
3,
 2016
  By Paul Mac Flynn

Social housing in Northern Ireland faces unique challenges over the coming years in terms of capacity, finance and delivery. Moreover there are questions over the structure of organisation who deliver social housing and how that could be amended to best suit future needs.
This InBrief looks to evaluate current social housing policy and whether Northern Ireland should look beyond the UK for best practice.
KEY POINTS

  • Northern Ireland is not at present providing an adequate supply of social housing.
  • Schemes for tenant purchase of social housing have depleted stock and should be suspended.
  • The reclassification of Housing Associations as public bodies disrupts the current financial model and calls into question the future role of the NIHE
  • There should be a broader role for Housing Associations beyond providing for low-income households.

Paul Mac Flynn

Paul Mac Flynn is co-director of the Nevin Economic Research Institute and is based in the Belfast office. In addition to managing the Belfast office he has co-responsibility for the NERI's research programme and for its strategic direction.  

He leads on the NERI’s analysis of the Northern Ireland economy along with all research into the impact of the United Kingdom‘s departure from the European Union. Other research areas include regional productivity, the all-island economy and the future of work.

He is a graduate of University College Dublin with a BA in Economics and Politics and the University of Bristol with an MSc in Economics and Public Policy, specialising in the economic impacts of political devolution in the UK.

Contact: [email protected] or 00 44 28 9024 6214.