Housing Minister In USA For Talks

Stormont has moved to the USA this week with news that the NI Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland has begun an intensive round of engagements in the country.

He will meet with key people involved in housing and urban regeneration initiatives and see practical examples of their work on the ground.

While in New York the Minister will meet with Senator George Mitchell, who is co-chair of the Bipartisan Policy Centre. BPC currently has projects focused on economic policy, energy, health care and nutrition, housing, national security, and transportation.

Speaking in advance of the trip DUP Minister McCausland said: "I am undertaking a programme of meetings and visits with key and influential people who have achieved great success through their housing and urban regeneration programmes.

"My programme includes meetings in New York with organisations delivering individualised support services to help tenants put their lives back on track by managing their housing, employment opportunities and health related needs. I will visit successful public housing programmes that have benefitted from private investment, led by New York City Housing and now part of wider community revitalisation initiatives," he said.

Minister McCausland will also visit New Orleans to view community development initiatives aimed at disadvantaged areas. A tour of the Mississippi River will identify the work under way to transform unused industrial and commercial space into an example of design excellence that will increase tourism, create jobs and foster a renewed quality of life.

The visits to New York and New Orleans will provide invaluable insights to inform the Minister's work. He said: "It is always beneficial to examine how other communities, which may have similar problems to Northern Ireland, have managed to come up with innovative solutions to meet their own needs.

"Over the coming months I will be taking decisions on how social housing is planned, delivered and managed. The changes coming to the welfare system, coupled with reduced departmental budgets will impact on individuals and families right across Northern Ireland.

"My programme of meetings and visits in the United States will provide insights into how similar issues have been dealt with in New York and New Orleans."

While in New Orleans Minister McCausland will take part in a discussion with students at Tulane University about economic and social development and the major role of community and voluntary organisations in post-conflict and post-disaster urban settings.

Following the two days in New Orleans the Minister will return to New York to attend the Veterans Day Ceremony at the British Memorial Garden on 11 November before returning to Belfast.

(BMcC)