DUP Minister must get to grips with housing and homelessness crisis says Mason
Sinn Féin MLA Cathy Mason has said that Communities Minister Gordon Lyons must get to grips with the housing and homelessness crisis.
Speaking after new figures released showed the number of households waiting for social housing has passed 50,000, the deputy chair of the Communities Committee said: “The figures released this week showing that over 50,000 households are now waiting for a social home are extremely concerning.
“Almost 4,000 of which are in the Newry Mourne and Down area alone. That’s 4,000 families who are left without the security, stability, or dignity of a permanent home.
“No community should be expected to tolerate levels of need on this scale.
“These figures reveal a worsening housing crisis, and so far, DUP Housing Minister Gordon Lyons has completely failed to get to grips with the issue.
“The minister’s scheme to purchase 600 homes for temporary accommodation has not yet delivered one single home in the North.
“This is unacceptable.
“The statistics should act as a wakeup call to Minister Lyons who urgently needs to get to grips with the crisis in housing.”
