AQW 20721/17-22 Written question to the Minister for Communities
To ask the Minister for Communities to detail the number of people registered as homeless in each constituency in each of the last five years.
Asked by Claire Sugden MLA on 22 June 2021
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 22 June 2021
- Answer due by
- 7 July 2021
- Answered
- 6 July 202114 days after tabling
- Department
- Department for Communities
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Housing Statistics are regularly published at www.communities-ni.gov.uk/topics/housing-statistics. Since 2018 the homelessness bulletin has included a local breakdown of the number of households accepted as homeless. The requested data is not available by Constituency but is available at a Local Government level.
In the interests of clarity I include a summary below with additional data for the years before 2018. The Housing Executive has statutory responsibility for responding to Homelessness and has provided this information:
| *Households accepted as statutorily homeless | |||||
| Council Area | 2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 |
| Antrim & Newtownabbey | 1,029 | 904 | 1,052 | 936 | 952 |
| Ards & North Down | 986 | 1,160 | 1,156 | 947 | 931 |
| Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon | 542 | 593 | 790 | 694 | 608 |
| Belfast | 3,593 | 3,940 | 3,790 | 3,325 | 2,686 |
| Causeway Coast & Glens | 789 | 716 | 689 | 690 | 579 |
| Derry & Strabane | 1,259 | 1,203 | 1,315 | 1,222 | 1146 |
| Fermanagh & Omagh | 418 | 432 | 467 | 467 | 353 |
| Lisburn & Castlereagh | 928 | 675 | 716 | 756 | 552 |
| Mid & East Antrim | 1,003 | 997 | 1,088 | 1,051 | 928 |
| Mid Ulster | 481 | 468 | 542 | 388 | 362 |
| Newry, Mourne & Down | 861 | 789 | 907 | 847 | 792 |
| Total | 11,889 | 11,877 | 12,512 | 11,323 | 9,889 |
*In order to be “accepted” as statutorily homeless, a household must meet the four tests of:
• Eligibility
• Homelessness
• Priority Need
• Intentionality
Any household that meets these four tests will be accepted as a “Full Duty Applicant” and will be owed a full housing duty. The full housing duty includes ensuring that accommodation is made available for the household as well as the provision of temporary accommodation where necessary and assistance with the protection of the household’s belongings.