AQW 36642/22-27 Written question to the Minister for Communities
To ask the Minister for Communities to detail (i) the reason Housing First has not moved forward in Northern Ireland, since the 2012 report by the Housing Executive; and (ii) any steps he will take to overcome barriers to move the policy forward.
Asked by Kellie Armstrong MLA on 2 December 2025
- Answered
- Written
- After due date
- Tabled
- 2 December 2025
- Answer due by
- 17 December 2025
- Answered
- 12 January 202641 days after tabling
- Department
- Department for Communities
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Housing First has been operating on a small scale in Northern Ireland since 2013, funded by the Housing Executive’s Supporting People Programme with the support of DePaul and Simon Community. Expansion of Housing First is included in the Housing Executive Homelessness Strategy 2022-27.
Increased housing supply is vital to supporting this model, as outlined in the Housing First Feasibility Study, available via:
https://www.nihe.gov.uk/getattachment/6820a1fd-f47e-4119-812b-bdd639b68c62/Housing-First-Feasibility-Study-December-2025.pdf
My Department will work, in collaboration with other Departments and the Housing Executive, to address the constraints identified in this Feasibility Study.