NIHE News: 51 Years On NI Housing List

Well it was a struggle but we eventually got there. After repeated attempts the Northern Ireland Housing Executive eventually told us that we have people sitting on the Northern Ireland Housing List for 40, 41, 42, 45, 46 and even 54 years.



Not surprisingly the NIHE didn't volunteer this information, with public resentment so high, people getting properties ahead of locals or getting awarded accommodation within months whilst others wait years on the list is not something you boast about.



Now we have to be fair to the NIHE for we didn't ask whether there were special circumstances that prevented these people from taking up accommodation offered or even if offers had been made to them over the past 54 years and if so how many offers did they get, perhaps if you are interested you can make this request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and post your own story on Simply Belfast but remember not to request data that constitutes personal or identifiable data as they cannot and with not provide it, Keep it simple, for example ask, of those on the NIHE Housing List for more than 25 years how many offers of housing has each received - keep it statistical! The Freedom of Information details for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive are records@hihe.gov.uk



We asked the NIHE to disclose the total number on the waiting list and were told that as of the 1st April 2013 figure stood at a whopping 41,306 BUT we noticed a little asterisk beside the figure and persisted to obtain the actual figure. We uncovered that the NIHE had subtracted from the figure 50 people who had been on the list for 27 years plus!!!



So for the purpose of the NIHE and for the benefit of the General Public we can tell you that all is not well in Northern Ireland as there are 41,356 people awaiting housing. A figure that should shame Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Executive, the Northern Ireland Assembly and especially the Northern Ireland Housing Executive as these figures include, elderly, the poor, those in priority need and properties where no bathrooms or inside toilet exist.



Simply Belfast can't make the management team of the NIHE or its board homeless or force them to live in properties without toilets but if the current trend continues it won't be long before we're demanding they're made unemployed. Shame on You!!!