But social housing starts up by almost a fifth
Housing starts and completions have fallen 4.5% in 2025/26 compared to last year’s figures.
Official government statistics revealed the number of new homes started across all tenures was 6,285 in the year to April 2026, while 5,956 units were completed, down 2.7% from 2024/25.
Despite the overall decrease, the number of social rented home starts increased 17% from last year to 1,765. However, this falls short of the government’s target to build 33,000 social homes between 2024 and 2039, equating to around 2,200 homes a year.
The social housing waiting list grew to 50,381 households in 2025/26, up almost 3% year-on-year. The list has continued to increase annually since 2017/18.
Georgia Knapp, policy and public affairs manager at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Northern Ireland, said: “Years of underinvestment have led directly to infrastructure constraints that continue to have a direct impact on the ability to progress with housing developments.
”CIH has repeatedly called for an overhaul of the wastewater infrastructure system and for a guarantee of long-term, sustainable funding.
“We need a sustained programme of new housing supply, coupled with urgent action to remove the barriers holding back development. The housing crisis will not be solved without targeted intervention – we need urgent action now that finally changes the outcomes for Northern Ireland.”
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