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Morning Briefing: Northern Ireland Housing Executive homes at risk of ‘de-commissioning’ – report
Half the homes owned by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) are at risk of being decommissioned thanks to a funding crisis.
In the news
Northern Ireland-based investigative news outlet The Detail has seen a letter from Leo O’Reilly, the Northern Irish Department for Communities permanent secretary.
In the letter, Mr O’Reilly warns that if more funds are not delivered, the executive will have to decommission half its stock as it falls into a state of disrepair.
The 6 August letter outlines solutions, but warns they require legislation, which is not currently an option with Northern Ireland’s parliament suspended. It would start planning for this from 2019, the letter said.
A spokesperson told The Detail de-investment was "a worse-case scenario" and “potentially would mean that we continue to focus only on necessary health and safety work and halt improvement schemes”. It said “it could take around three years before there is a detrimental impact on its homes not subject to investment”.
Other options include transfer to housing associations, an idea which has been mooted in Northern Ireland for several years.
Meanwhile, The Guardian was back at the Grenfell Tower Inquiry yesterday, and carries a piece on the day’s evidence.
It focuses on comments from survivor Farhad Neda, 25, who says that “false hope” from the fire brigade cost lives by deterring people from trying to escape. You can read Inside Housing’s report on the day’s evidence here.
Elsewhere, the Financial Times has an intriguing story about the UK government’s plans for pension funds to invest in housing and infrastructure.
The paper reports on comments made by pensions minister Guy Opperman at a conference, where he said he wanted to “remove barriers” to investment in housing and infrastructure by UK pension funds.
Taking a wider look at the economy, Building magazine reports on the latest survey from RICS, which says the third quarter of the year has seen strong demand in housing and infrastructure.
While private housebuilding and infrastructure work increased, however, increased work on public housing appeared to slow, with only 7% more chartered surveyors saying their workloads had increased rather than fallen in this area, down from 12% in the previous quarter.
In local news, the BBC reports that Oxford City Council has approved a plan to build “upwards” and develop parts of the green belt to solve the city’s housing shortage.
It also covers a new affordable housing plan from Scottish Borders Council, which is aiming to build over 1,000 homes by 2024.
And Evie Copland, vice-chair of the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Futures Board, has written a tribute on Medium to Alison Inman, whose time as president of the institute will soon come to an end.
On social media
Jeff Fairburn, chief executive of builder Persimmon, is unhappy about being confronted over his £100m bonus.
Asked Jeff Fairburn, CEO of Persimmon Homes about his £75m bonus today. This was his response.... @BBCLookNorth pic.twitter.com/eJraBv1e8i
— Spencer Stokes (@spencerstokestv)Asked Jeff Fairburn, CEO of Persimmon Homes about his £75m bonus today. This was his response.... @BBCLookNorth pic.twitter.com/eJraBv1e8i
— Spencer Stokes (@spencerstokestv) October 18, 2018
What’s on
Sadiq Khan will face Mayor’s Question Time today from 10am in the London Assembly, with a number of fascinating questions on housing scheduled. The meeting will be streamed live from City Hall’s website.
