The Changing Housing System in Northern Ireland 1998–2007

Abstract

This paper examines changing housing provision and policies in Northern Ireland during the period 1998–2007. The theoretical framework derives from the political economy of housing and the focus is on the extent to which devolution has impacted upon housing provision and policy since 1998. The distinctive history of housing provision in Northern Ireland since partition is reviewed. The period since the Good Friday Agreement has been characterized by periodic suspensions of the Northern Ireland Assembly and most housing policy initiatives, as between 1971 and 1998, have come from direct rule ministers following Westminster developments. Some distinctive features of social housing administration have been retained, with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive still playing a major role, despite a high level of sales to tenants. Housing provision in Northern Ireland has come also more to resemble the situation in the Republic of Ireland, where a long economic boom has been associated with rapid growth in house prices despite greatly increased levels of new building. It is concluded that there is no significant evidence that devolution after 1998 has resulted in distinctive housing policy or housing provision developments in Northern Ireland and that, as in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, housing provision has become increasingly market-driven.

Notes

1. The term ‘Good Friday Agreement’ is used here in a strictly non-sectarian sense.

2. The Housing Executive took over stock from local councils, the Northern Ireland Housing Trust and three Development Corporations.

3. Source: data on housing completions derive from various editions of Housing Statistics from the Irish Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and from Northern Ireland annual Housing Statistics from the Department of Social Development.

4. These functions mainly related to regulation and private sector issues: including houses in multiple occupation, unfitness, private sector grants; more contentiously, the RPA proposed transferring responsibility for Travellers' accommodation to councils as well as giving them responsibility for the Supporting People programme.

5. PPS 14 was rendered problematic in September 2007 when judicial review in the Belfast High Court determined that the Department for Regional Development did not have the authority to introduce this measure; at the time of writing, the Minister, Arlene Foster, is examining options before reporting to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

6. Tenure transfers occurred, for example, when a dwelling that had been occupied by its owner was sold to an investor who subsequently let out the house to private tenants.