To ask the Minister for Communities to detail any conversations he has had to enable the Housing Executive to borrow against their rents to raise income for building new houses.

I am actively pressing for a solution that will put NIHE on a sustainable footing to increase routine & planned investment, to deal with maintenance backlogs and a program of retrofit to improve energy efficiency in homes. To that end, I have had numerous conversations on this matter.

My Department is currently investigating how NIHE might be able access Government Loans, without reclassification or significant restructuring. Access to these loans would put NIHE on a more equal footing with the Registered Housing Associations, in terms of providing value for money in constructing new social housing units.