To ask the Minister for Communities to detail any service provided by (i) the Housing Executive (NIHE); or (ii) his Department, which allows members of the public to report fraudulent use or misuse of social housing operated by NIHE or another housing association, including (a) online forms; and (b) telephone numbers.

This issue is an operational matter for Northern Ireland Housing Executive; they have advised me as follows:

“(i)The Housing Executive is committed to preventing misuse of its properties and provides a number of mechanisms through which members of the public can report suspected fraudulent use of social housing.

These include:

an online reporting facility available via the Housing Executive’s website at www.nihe.gov.uk/fraud

(b) a telephone contact number (03448 920 900) through which reports can be made; and

(c) the option to report concerns in person at a local Housing Executive office.

All reports of suspected fraud are taken seriously and investigated by the Housing Executive, to help ensure that social housing stock is used appropriately and allocated to those in genuine need.

(ii) The Department does not operate a dedicated public reporting service specifically for tenancy fraud in social housing, it works closely with the Housing Executive and registered housing associations to ensure robust processes are in place to prevent and address misuse. Individual housing associations may also provide their own reporting arrangements, typically via published contact details on their websites or through local office networks.”