Young, single .. and homeless

Mr McIlveen said he found out via the response to a question tabled to the Minister for Social Development that Ballymena is the Housing Executive District with the fourth highest number of single men between the ages of 18-24 with no fixed abode.

He said; “Since I was elected last summer, one of the most worrying things that has struck me during my constituency work is the housing plight of single young men. Week after week I have young men coming into my constituency office who are going through apprenticeships or who are in college trying to make their way in the world. However, the ability to find suitable housing is almost impossible.

“I was not surprised to discover how high the numbers of homeless single young men are in Ballymena, but I also think that these official records are only the tip of the iceberg. I see so many of these young people coming in who are sleeping on friends sofas or who are sharing with extended family members, who will never be classed as having housing issues by the Housing Executive.

“I really feel for young people who are desperately trying to improve their lives, but who cannot afford to even rent a room, as it would use around 3/4 of their small salaries,” said Mr McIlveen.

The DUP MLA continued: “I recognise that it is not possible to dish out houses to each of these young men, but I do think we need to find a more creative answer to this problem. Young people are already suffering due to high levels of unemployment and also high levels of dissatisfaction with their politicians. We must act now to ensure that these young people are not simply a forgotten generation.

“We have to view these figures in the context of the welfare reform changes which are yet to be debated in Northern Ireland. The impact on this particular demographic is likely to make the situation worse, therefore it is vital that we address the problem immediately.

“The Housing Minister, Nelson McCausland DUP, has been working hard to address this issue. He Has made clear that social housing is not, and cannot be the only answer to this problem and he is working on developing a more holistic and sustainable solution.

“I look forward to the Homelessness Strategy being published in Spring 2012 and will continue to lobby the Minister to ensure that this next generation is not forgotten,” said Mr McIlveen.