Housing Executive to invest £1.54 million in Moyle area this year

Mark Alexander, Housing Executive Causeway Area manager, said: “Last year the Housing Executives pent over £0.65 million on improving and maintaining Housing Executive homes in Moyle; invested £0.31 million to assist vulnerable people through the Supporting People programme, provided £0.13m million for grant aid to improve housing conditions in the private sector; invested £43.5k on adapting Housing Executive homes in this area having commenced adaptations to 17 tenants’ homes; provided 786 private sector tenants with Housing Benefit assistance, an increase of 28% from 2009 and worked with community groups and other sectors to encourage safer, settled and inclusive communities.”

Setting out the Housing Executive’s agenda in Moyle for the 2013/14 year when the investment will be £1.54million, Mark Alexander said: “The housing waiting list for Moyle has increased from 311 in March 2012 to 352 in December 2012. Single households continue to dominate the waiting list. During 2012/2013 we allocated 66 homes to waiting list applicants.

“At the end of March 2013, there were two schemes on site which will deliver 17 new social housing units at Ramoan Road, Ballycastle and Church Bay, Rathlin Island. The draft Social Housing Development Programme for Moyle proposes two schemes for general housing needs at Quay Road, Ballycastle and Kilnadore Road, Cushendall for a total of 26 new homes.

“In Moyle the number of people accepted as homeless increased from 62 in 2011/12 to 94 in 2102/13.

“The Housing Executive will continue to work hard to provide services to support those faced with homelessness. The new Homelessness Strategy 2012-2017 will aim to eliminate long term homelessness and rough sleeping across Northern Ireland by 2020.

“This year the Housing Executive will invest £1.54m to help the most vulnerable people in Moyle to continue to live independently.

“This is especially important for older people and people with disabilities.

“Existing funding delivers 9 supported housing accommodation based schemes and one floating support scheme.

“Despite pressures on our funding the Housing Executive will continue to provide its day-to-day maintenance service. Housing Executive tenants in Moyle will see this service protected in line with their conditions of tenancy. This year’s work programme includes smoke alarm replacements in 130 homes and installation of thermostatic controls in 200 homes.”