The Strangford MLA said: “The recent publication from the Department for Communities highlights the critical reality of the housing crisis we are facing in Northern Ireland.
“According to statistics, 90,477 people are currently waiting for accommodation from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. Among those, 61,698 individuals are classified as officially homeless and have been granted full duty homeless status. Tragically, included in this group are 19,420 children.
“This crisis is caused by the failure to build enough homes, and the Simon Community has confirmed that without adequate housing, the number of homeless individuals could exceed 82,000 by 2030.
“We urgently need to remove the barriers to new housing developments caused by NI Water, the planning system, and insufficient capital investment. With just over 2,500 new builds started this year, a focused approach is required to dramatically increase this number. Based on the current statistics, it will take Northern Ireland over 36 years to build enough homes to meet the existing demand.
“Today, we have the equivalent of 86 primary schools' worth of children living in temporary accommodation, sleeping on sofas or in hostels. We cannot allow any more children to grow up without a permanent home.
“We need to get real about the housing crisis, and with a concerted and synchronised effort from the Department for Communities and the Executive, we can solve homelessness.”
“According to statistics, 90,477 people are currently waiting for accommodation from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. Among those, 61,698 individuals are classified as officially homeless and have been granted full duty homeless status. Tragically, included in this group are 19,420 children.
“This crisis is caused by the failure to build enough homes, and the Simon Community has confirmed that without adequate housing, the number of homeless individuals could exceed 82,000 by 2030.
“We urgently need to remove the barriers to new housing developments caused by NI Water, the planning system, and insufficient capital investment. With just over 2,500 new builds started this year, a focused approach is required to dramatically increase this number. Based on the current statistics, it will take Northern Ireland over 36 years to build enough homes to meet the existing demand.
“Today, we have the equivalent of 86 primary schools' worth of children living in temporary accommodation, sleeping on sofas or in hostels. We cannot allow any more children to grow up without a permanent home.
“We need to get real about the housing crisis, and with a concerted and synchronised effort from the Department for Communities and the Executive, we can solve homelessness.”