Family secures accessible social home in North Belfast after six-year wait

The family of a 16-year-old with muscular dystrophy and autism has expressed relief following their relocation to a new social residence in north Belfast prior to Christmas. Curtis Herron, who is 16, uses a wheelchair, and his parents had spent six years on a waiting list for an accessible social home. Previously, the family resided in Whiteabbey in a dwelling where narrow doorways presented navigation challenges for Curtis. Curtis was among 48,000 households awaiting social housing in Northern Ireland, with 36,000 of these classified as experiencing housing stress. Stormont had allocated additional funds for social housing during its October monitoring round, following a reduction earlier in the year. This earlier cut had projected Northern Ireland to achieve approximately 400 new social homes, significantly below the 2,000 target. However, the increased funding in October has fostered greater optimism among certain housing associations. Curtis described the extended wait for a social home as frustrating for his family. He stated, “There were only two rooms I could get into [in the family’s previous home], that was it and there were five rooms.” He characterized the situation as “unfair” and conveyed feeling “a bit useless” because of it. His family has now relocated to a new Clanmil Housing Association residence in north Belfast, enabling them to celebrate Christmas in their new home. Curtis referred to the move as “a pretty close situation.” He recounted, “The dates were getting pushed back and I was in my head thinking: ‘Are we going to get this house before Christmas or not?” Curtis said. He added, “It feels good that we are in somewhere suitable.” The bungalow features modifications designed to enhance Curtis’s independence; for instance, the kitchen counter can be lowered, which has enabled him to prepare dinner for his family. He remarked, “I can get in to every single room, there isn’t any tight spaces or gaps.” He further explained, “Things are easier, if I’m in a small place I don’t get much quality of life… I have a back garden which I can actually go out [in].” Curtis expressed a desire for more social homes to be constructed to a similar standard, aiming to alleviate the substantial number of families on waiting lists. He stated, “I know there aren’t a lot of houses like this about and that lowers the chance of people getting one. I think there should be more.” Ark Housing Association has outlined plans for a development comprising 45 social homes in Dungannon, and its chief executive, Jim McShane, feels more optimistic about the project after the October monitoring round. He commented, “We hope to be on site [in March], thanks to additional funding that was made available at the end of this year, that means the project is in a much better position of proceeding.” Currently, 2,200 families are awaiting social housing in Mid Ulster, with 600 of those families located in Dungannon. Construction is anticipated to span up to two years, with homes scheduled for allocation in 2027. Jim McShane noted that the situation “looked extremely gloomy” at the start of the current year. He explained, “Initially we were advised there would be 450 homes, a fraction of what there would be on a usual basis.” He added, “Towards the end of this year, we are looking at approximately 1,400 new homes.” Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has released a Housing Supply Strategy, setting a goal of constructing 33,000 new social homes within the next 14 years. Mr. McShane described it as “frustrating” that the current provision continues to “falling short” of demand. He stated, “The waiting list is increasing by 3,000 families a year so it’s vitally important that we do more,” further noting that delivery is “dependent on finance.” He estimated, “To deliver 2,500 social homes per year will require a government pot of money of approximately £250m per year.” Nevertheless, he expressed being “a bit more hopeful” because housing has been acknowledged as a “major issue” and has been given its own outcome within the Programme for Government. He emphasized, “It’s important that ambition is backed up by finances and forward planning in terms of budgets.” Seamus Leheny, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations, commented that despite the additional funding, “it’s still a very challenging year.” He stated, “We will do well to deliver between 1,300-1,400 new social homes this year. Going forward, we need to get that money up front at the start of the financial year.” He also added that housing supply targets are realistic, “but only if we start building at volume today.” Mr. Leheny indicated he would “like to see” 3,000 new homes annually, but cautioned that “we’ve got to be realistic” concerning the “squeezed budget,” land availability, challenges related to NI Water, and planning processes. He concluded, “We’ve got to work within the confines of those things that are holding us back.”