House Building 'Not Just About Bricks And Mortar'

Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland has stated that house building is not just about bricks and mortar, but about creating homes and communities.

The Minister made the comments during his opening address at the Chartered Institute of Housing Northern Ireland (CIHNI) Annual Conference in Belfast.

Minister McCausland said: "In 2012, I published 'Facing the Future', Northern Ireland's first ever housing strategy which recognises the fundamental role of housing in shaping our communities and centres on a vision that everyone should have the opportunity to access good quality housing at a reasonable cost.

"The strategy also outlines the Northern Ireland Executive's role in helping to create the right conditions for a stable and sustainable housing market while acknowledging many of the fiscal and economic levers in achieving this are not all under our control.

"However, in Northern Ireland there are things we can do collectively to identify and unblock some of the barriers to housing supply.

"That is why I established the Housing Supply Forum which includes representatives from the private, public and charitable sectors who have a diverse range of knowledge on the operation of the Northern Ireland housing market.

"The Forum has already begun their work and will report to me next year on viable ways that we can work collectively to increase private housing supply in a sustainable way."

The Minister also outlined his views on building communities and increasing job prospects for young people. He said: "We need to think more carefully, and in new ways, about creating places where people want to live.

"I want to see a house-building sector that invests in our young people, takes on more apprentices that ever before, trains them in new skills and provides them with long-term employment. That is what I mean when I say construction is about more than building houses, it is about building homes and communities."

The Minister concluded: "Unblocking housing supply is vitally important but we shouldn't lose sight of the bigger picture. It is about creating a society where everyone has the opportunity to access good quality housing at a reasonable cost in a strong and healthy community."

(MH/JP)