To ask the Minister for Communities to detail any current (i) targets; (ii) timescales; and (iii) funding commitments, to increase the supply of social and genuinely affordable homes throughout East Londonderry.

This issue is an operational matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

I have sought the requested information from the Chief Executive, who has advised me as follows:

“The Housing Executive is committed to addressing housing need in the East Londonderry Parliamentary Constituency through support for the provision of affordable housing including social rented housing delivered by housing associations via the Social Housing Development Programme (SHDP).

The Housing Executive carries out Housing Need Assessments (HNAs) on an annual basis. The total social housing need projection for the period 2024-29, based on HNA areas in the East Londonderry Parliamentary Constituency, is 1,432 units.

Much of the East Londonderry Parliamentary Constituency falls within Causeway Coast and Glens Council. Currently, the Housing Executive is seeking a quota of social housing (a minimum of 20%) on residential sites in areas of social need across the Borough, as facilitated by Policy HOU2 of the Northern Area Plan 2016.

A smaller area of the East Londonderry Parliamentary Constituency falls with Derry City and Strabane District Council (DC&SDC), the Housing Executive is seeking a quota of affordable housing (a minimum of 20%) on residential sites in areas of social need across the Borough, as facilitated by Policy HOU5 of the DC&SDC Local Development Plan ‘Plan Strategy’.

This will help to increase housing supply and support sustainable communities.

In the East Londonderry Parliamentary Constituency:

There have been 35 new social housing completions to-date in 2025/26.

There are currently 253 social housing units under construction.

There are 458 social housing units programmed to start as part of the SHDP 2025/26 – 2027/28:

102 units programmed to start in 2025/26.

314 units programmed to start in 2026/27.

42 units programmed to start in 2027/28.

Funding is available to support the delivery of 1,750 new social housing starts across Northern Ireland via the SHDP in the 2025/26 programme year, including the 102 units programmed to start in the East Londonderry Parliamentary Constituency.”

More widely the Executive Housing Supply Strategy has an ambition to deliver 100,000 homes in NI over 15 years, of which a third should be social. Local Councils are responsible for considering their own affordable housing needs for their areas, in conjunction with NIHE place shaping teams, through the development and delivery of Local Development Plans.

I continue to help people into home ownership and last year, I announced a further £153M in funding for Co-Ownership to support 4,000 people in buying a home over the next 4 years through its Co-Own product.

All Co-Ownership products operate on a “DIYSO” (Do It Yourself Shared Ownership) basis where customers can select a home of their choice anywhere in Northern Ireland up to the property value limit of £210,000.

In East Londonderry there were 30 Co-Ownership completions in 2024/25 and 23 completions between April 2025 and September 2025.