Over £6 Million Spent on Temporary Housing By Housing Executive In Newry, Mourne and Down In 5 Years

Northern Ireland is facing a housing emergency of historic proportions. With homelessness rising, social housing waiting lists surging, and affordability worsening, families and individuals are struggling to find safe and permanent shelter.

Housing Demand Soars

As of 31st March 2025, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) waiting list reached 49,083 households an increase of around 25% since 2015 [NISRA]. Of those waiting,37,635 households were in “housing stress” and 31,719 had full duty applicant(FDA) status eligible for statutory homelessness assistance [NISRA].

From October 2024 to March 2025, 7,637 households presented as homeless, with 5,135 accepted under statutory duty. As of May 2025, 5,220 households lived in temporary accommodations including hotels, B&Bs, and single let flats [NISRA].

Newry, Mourne and Down

It has been revealed via a freedom of information request that the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has spent over £6 million on temporary housing costs in the Newry, Mourne and Down area in the last five years.

A freedom of information request by Clanrye News and Sport revealed the following:

Temporary Accommodation (TA) Expenditure Newry, Mourne & Down Council Area:

2020/21 – £814,079

2021/22 – £1,150,543

2022/23 – £1,198,272

2023/24 – £1,558,377

2024/25 – £1,493,064

Total – £6, 214, 335

Financial Strain & Rising Costs

In the 2023–24 financial year, the NIHE spent nearly £39 million on temporary accommodation over half of its homelessness budget.The number of households in temporary accommodation has jumped from 1,700 in 2017 to roughly 4,700 in 2024. Meanwhile, rents jumped by 9% in 2024, with the average monthly rent hitting £942. In Belfast, median rents reached £1,102 per month.

What Needs to Be Done?

Experts and campaigners are calling for bold actions:

• Match targets to actual need: current SHDP goals fall far short of the demand outlined in NIHE Commissioning Prospectus (Northern Ireland Audit Office].
• End “Right to Buy” to stop shrinkage of social housing stock.
• Invest in critical infrastructure, including NI Water, to unlock new housing developments (Northern Ireland Audit Office). 
• Streamline planning approvals some voices are even calling for the crisis to be declared a national emergency to bypass slow existing systems.

Outlook

The crisis in Northern Ireland is both systemic and worsening: high demand paired with dwindling supply, rising costs, and political inaction. Unless radical investment and reform follow, the number of people living without secure homes is expected to continue its upward trajectory.

ENDS