NIHE invests £6.2million in Ballymena housing

Updating representatives on NIHE’s work in the borough at last Wednesday’s Public Sector Liaison Committee meeting in Ardeevin, Frank O’Connor, the Executive’s North East Area Manager, said that a substantial amount of that total will go to help the most vulnerable people in the borough to live independently.

At the outset of his presentation, however, he turned to last year, revealing that over £3.55million was spent on improving and maintaining Housing Executive homes locally.

Also, some £2.4million was invested to assist vulnerable people through the Supporting People programme; £470,000 was provided in grant aid to improve housing conditions in the private sector; £314,000 went on adapting Housing Executive homes in the District and adaptations to 55 tenants’ homes were started; and, 2,029 private sector tenants were provided with Housing Benefit assistance - an increase of almost 46% from 2007.

Spelling out the Housing Executive’s agenda in the Borough for the 2011/2012 year when the investment will be £6.20 million, Frank O’Connor said: “The housing waiting list for Ballymena Borough has increased in the past year, from 806 applicants in housing stress in December 2009 to 846 in December 2010. Single person households dominate the waiting list, accounting for 43.5% of all applicants in housing stress.”

“Last year we allocated 234 Housing Executive homes to waiting list applicants compared to 251 the previous year.”

The meeting was also told that the number of homeless people in the borough had also increased slightly from 490 in March 2010 to 498 in March 2011 and approximately 35% of those accepted as homeless were single person households.

Mr O’Connor said the Housing Executive will continue to work hard to provide services to support those faced with homelessness in the borough and that they are also reviewing their temporary accommodation and examining the range of help they provide to vulnerable households.

He said: “This year we will invest around £2.43m to help the most vulnerable people in Ballymena Borough to continue to live independently. This is especially important for older people and people with disabilities. Existing funding delivers 26 supported housing accommodation based schemes and three floating support schemes in the District.”

At the end of March 2011 two schemes for 64 units of general needs housing were on site in the Borough, at Caherty Road, Broughshane and Garvaghy Avenue, Portglenone.

Councillors were told that the draft Social Housing Development Programme for 2011-2012 includes a further six schemes for 99 units of general needs housing in Ballymena, Ahoghill, Cullybackey and Kells, together with one scheme for 16 units of supported housing at Kintyre Park Ballymena.

They also heard that “despite pressures on funding”, the Housing Executive will continue to provide its day-to-day maintenance service.

Said Mr O’Connor: “Housing Executive tenants in Ballymena Borough will see this service protected in line with their conditions of tenancy. This year’s work programme also includes heating replacement for 101 Lanntara and Lettercreeve homes, planned external maintenance for 363 properties in the Ballee area and a Health and Safety contract for 343 medium rise flats in Ballymena.”

“In Ballymena borough in the year to March 2011, 227 homes were insulated, 27 had heating installed, and a further 38 had both insulation and heating installed.

“We have allocated £0.43m for home improvement grants for Ballymena Borough in the coming year and expect to complete 26 Disabled Facilities Grants, eight Home Repair Assistance Grants, seven Repair Grants and four Renovation Grants,” said Mr O’Connor.

He added: “Our Ballymena District Office, under the management of Eric Woods, continues to provide dedicated housing services in Ballymena Borough. Members of staff here are ably assisted by the Customer Services Unit, Accounts and Housing Benefit Units in the North East Area Office in Twickenham House.”

He also pointed out that the Ballymena Housing Community Network and 14 local community and residents groups are doing valuable work reviewing and improving housing services for local people.

“Members of staff are working diligently with residents and other agencies to promote and encourage safer, settled and inclusive housing areas within Ballymena Borough,” said Mr O’Connor who paid tribute in conclusion to Ballymena Councillors and Council officers for their support over the past year.