She was speaking as the latest House Price Index showed that the average house price in Northern Ireland is now close to £200,000 – an increase of over 20% since 2023.
The North Antrim representative called on the Communities Minister to outline his plan to address the housing crisis and support first-time buyers.
Ms Mulholland said: “When house prices are rising by over 20% in three years and so many families are locked out of home ownership because they can’t afford the sky-high deposit, it tells us very clearly that our housing market is fundamentally broken. Owning your own home has become a pipe dream for many people and they will rightly be asking what the Communities Minister is doing to boost housing supply and give first-time buyers the support they need to get onto the property ladder.
“Building more homes is a massive part of the solution, but there are wider innovations that could also be explored to help address the housing crisis as well. We have thousands of vacant properties across Northern Ireland that could make a difference, while Alliance has also called for a cap on the number of short-term holiday lets to help boost housing supply.
“Tackling Northern Ireland’s housing crisis, and the impact it is having on the day to day lives of our constituents, needs to be the Minister’s top priority, not the history of America or where JD Vance’s ancestors were born. Having a place to call your own and raise your family has become an unreachable goal for too many people in Northern Ireland, and without urgent action, that will be the Department’s lasting legacy from this Assembly mandate.”
The North Antrim representative called on the Communities Minister to outline his plan to address the housing crisis and support first-time buyers.
Ms Mulholland said: “When house prices are rising by over 20% in three years and so many families are locked out of home ownership because they can’t afford the sky-high deposit, it tells us very clearly that our housing market is fundamentally broken. Owning your own home has become a pipe dream for many people and they will rightly be asking what the Communities Minister is doing to boost housing supply and give first-time buyers the support they need to get onto the property ladder.
“Building more homes is a massive part of the solution, but there are wider innovations that could also be explored to help address the housing crisis as well. We have thousands of vacant properties across Northern Ireland that could make a difference, while Alliance has also called for a cap on the number of short-term holiday lets to help boost housing supply.
“Tackling Northern Ireland’s housing crisis, and the impact it is having on the day to day lives of our constituents, needs to be the Minister’s top priority, not the history of America or where JD Vance’s ancestors were born. Having a place to call your own and raise your family has become an unreachable goal for too many people in Northern Ireland, and without urgent action, that will be the Department’s lasting legacy from this Assembly mandate.”