A third of the 4,000 households presenting as homeless in the last quarter included children
There was only one social housing build start under the Social Housing Development Programme in Northern Ireland in the last quarter, a figure which the Chartered Institute of Housing Northern Ireland has called a “worrying reality”.
In April to June 2025 there were 297 Social Housing Development Programme dwelling completions, but only one build was started.
Analysis in the latest Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin also showed that of the total 49,129 of applicants on the Northern Ireland Housing Executive waiting list, 37,939 are experiencing “housing stress” – an acute or urgent need for social housing.
In the last quarter, more than 4,000 households presented as homeless to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, almost a third of which (28.6%) were families.
Julie Steele, engagement and external affairs manager at Chartered Institute of Housing Northern Northern Ireland, said: “The latest statistics highlight a worrying reality. Even with some growth in new starts and completions, we are still not building nearly enough homes.
“Rising waiting lists and continued reliance on temporary accommodation show the real human cost of underinvestment.
”Without urgent action to restore funding and provide long-term certainty, the housing crisis in Northern Ireland will only worsen.”
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The Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin is produced each quarter by the Analytics Division of the Department for Communities.
It found the one Social Housing Development Programme dwelling start between April and June 2025 was self-contained and an Existing Satisfactory Purchase – which means a property, previously occupied as a residence, that a housing association purchases “as is” from a private owner or the government.
During the quarter ending March 2025, 263 new National Housing Building Council (NHBC) registered dwellings were sold with an average price of £279,200.
Steele added: “While housing providers are working hard to deliver against challenging targets, the core issue remains a lack of sustained investment and long-term policy direction.
”The positive momentum seen in delivery must be matched by ambition, leadership, and resources if Northern Ireland is to meet its housing need and ensure that every household can access a safe, affordable home.”
A Department for Communities spokesperson said: “The Housing Supply Strategy and Programme for Government together set out the Northern Ireland Executive’s ambition to deliver at least 100,000 more houses over the next 15 years, at least a third of which will be social.
“The Housing Supply Strategy highlights the need for more social, affordable and sustainable housing. The Programme for Government currently includes a target of starting work on at least 5,850 new-build social homes by 2027 and approximately 5,500 social homes are currently under construction across Northern Ireland.”
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