Housing Minister Gordon Lyons must get spiralling rents under control in Newry Down and Mourne says Alliance Mournes Councillor Jill Truesdale
Stormont’s Housing Minister must take urgent action to get spiralling rents under control for the sake of struggling families in Newry Mourne and Down Alliance Councillor Jill Truesdale has warned.
It comes as figures show that average private rents have grown to over £867 per month in Newry Mourne and Down District Council area representing an increase of more than 50% since 2020 and the third most expensive in the whole of Northern Ireland.
Councillor Truesdale said that growing rents and sky rocketing energy and other living costs risk leaving local families struggling to afford to eat or even facing the risk of homelessness.
She added: “There are 30,000 private renters in Newry Mourne and Down and many of those families have a daily battle to keep their head above water in the face of ever-increasing housing costs.
“Monthly rents have spiralled entirely out of control, and while this is leaving local renters having to cut back on food, sitting in cold homes or even facing the threat of ending up on the street, Gordon Lyons is doing nothing to help.
“Increasing the supply of available homes will ultimately make the biggest difference to monthly rents, but there are so many other levers that the Minister could also be pulling to make life easier for renters in the meantime.
“Steps to restrict the frequency of rent increases and stop inflation-busting hikes could be implemented relatively quickly and would make a massive difference to people in the district who are struggling to get by.
“The case for action was clear even before war in the Middle East had such a profound effect on energy bills, but the two have now combined to make a perfect cost of living storm for those in the private rented sector.
“The Minister cannot spend one more day sitting on his hands while renters in this district face such a crisis.”
