By 
MORE than 1,000 people in the Omagh area classed as being in housing stress were left without an affordable home last year, according to stark new figures.
The statistics, presented by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) to Fermanagh and Omagh District Council this week, reveal the growing scale of the local housing crisis.
In Omagh town alone, there were 793 applications for affordable housing, including almost 600 from people described as being in housing stress.
However, 90 per-cent of those applicants did not receive an allocation, with only 83 successfully housed.
Across the wider district, 2,296 people applied for affordable housing between 2024 and 2025, yet just 230 were allocated a property.
The NIHE estimates a need for 289 new homes in the Omagh area.
Council chair Barry McElduff said access to affordable housing – particularly for younger people – was a pressing issue.
“Many people locally and beyond worry about being able to get a house, either in the private or public sectors. It’s vital that we do everything possible to ensure people are able to access housing,” he said.
Cllr Dermot Browne described the figures as further evidence of a deepening crisis.
“Rents are becoming unaffordable, house prices are the highest they’ve been in years, and the social housing waiting list keeps growing,” he said. “The number of new homes being built is a huge cause for concern.”
NIHE chief executive Grainia Long said the organisation was continuing to identify land and properties suitable for development.
The Housing Executive has made representations through the ‘Call for Sites’ process for the next stage of the Fermanagh and Omagh Local Development Plan, with projections showing a need for 942 new homes across the district between 2024 and 2029.
