Housing Executive need to deliver on Rasharkin housing scheme - McKay

Figures released to North Antrim MLA Daithí McKay by the Social Development Minister suggest that housing need has fallen in the Ballymoney area in the past five years.

However the Sinn Féin representative has said that those in need of housing need to ensure that they put their name down with the Housing executive to ensure that an area’s true level of need is measured.

He said: “Projections for social housing need suggest that housing (unit)need has dropped across Ballymoney district. It suggests that Rasharkin has dropped from a need for 30 houses to 6 houses; Ballymoney from 50 to 10 and Dunloy from 10 to 6.

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“From a local perspective however it is clear that we need more social housing units than what is outlined. Key to securing this is ensuring that those who require a house, particularly young people, register with the Housing Executive. A true reflection of housing need will help strengthen the argument for new housing units to be built here.

“I have been pushing for the building of new social housing at the Housing Executive’s Church Road site in Rasharkin for a number of years now and a number of issues concerning infrastructure for that housing proposal have been successfully resolved. However it appears that the brakes are being applied to this scheme somewhat and that is not acceptable especially given the amount of work that has been carried out in regard to this proposal.

“The Housing Executive and the Minister needs to follow through on this project for Rasharkin and build this much needed social housing which is clearly required for young families in this area. We will be pushing for this to be included in future capital build based on the need which clearly was demonstrated by the levels of high demand seen here in recent years.”