More than 2,000 on local housing waiting list

MORE than 2,000 people are currently on the waiting list for a new home in the Fermanagh and Omagh district, according to the latest figures released by the NI Housing Executive (NIHE).

Chief executive of NIHE, Grainne Long, and the organisation’s South West area manager, Helen Hicks, met with local councillors at a special meeting on Monday night.

They outlined plans to spend £18.63 million locally during the current financial year. But they have been urged to invest increasingly in the building of new homes to tackle what’s described as the severe shortage of both affordable homes and social housing.

Figures released at the meeting showed that a total of 2,154 people are waiting for homes from the Housing Executive.

Of this figure, 1,500 are described as being in ‘acute stress.’

However, Ms Long outlined how the number of new homes built by the Housing Executive in Fermanagh and Omagh far exceeded their initial target.

She said that, to date, there had been 203 new starts locally, compared to a target of 146.

“We have had a £20 million investment in new build housing and it is great to see new sites coming forward, schemes in the pipeline and permission granted,” she said. “It is good to be working with the council through the planning process to get these new houses begun and completed.”

extend

However, Omagh town councillor, Barry McElduff, urged the Housing Executive to extend their building programme.

He said that the sites left vacant when the new Strule Shared Educational Campus opens had the potential to facilitate social and affordable housing.

“People are in dire circumstances. Homelessness is a significant challenge locally and this is highlighted by the fact that the number of people in temporary accommodation has trebled,” he said.

“Another man has been told that he will have to wait 20 months before an assessment for his suitability to facilitate changes to his home.

“Someone else has 170 points on the Housing Executive’s assessment scheme and are fearing that they won’t receive a home.”

Independent councillor, Dr Josephine Deehan, said that the figure of 210 allocations by the Housing Executive represented just ten per-cent of the overall figure on the waiting list.

Alliance councillor, Stephen Donnelly, also highlighted the fact that there were just nine units available locally for women facing sexual or domestic abuse.