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Northern Ireland’s 15% slump in completions a ‘clear red flag’, CIH says
Northern Ireland’s 15% fall in new home completions over the past year has been described as a “clear red flag” by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH).
Northern Ireland’s 15% fall in new home completions over the past year has been described as a “clear red flag” by the Chartered Institute of Housing #UKHousingThe latest statistics from the Department of Finance (DoF) reveal that just 1,379 homes were completed between July and September 2025, down from 1,623 in the same period last year.
Of the homes completed in the last quarter, 1,248 were private and 131 were social housing. The social housing completions fell by 69% compared to the same quarter last year, when 430 were completed.
However, the statistics show that starts for the quarter were slightly up, reaching 1,576, a 3.5% increase compared to the same quarter last year. This figure included 221 social homes.
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Justin Cartwright, national director for CIH Northern Ireland, said the substantial year-on-year decline in dwelling completions is a “clear red flag” for the region’s immediate housing supply.
“This trend is a growing concern for both the social and private housing sectors, impacting the ability of the region to meet its increasing need for safe, affordable accommodation and putting further pressure on existing supply chains and house prices,” he added.
Mr Cartwright said efforts to build were being hampered by infrastructure failure, such as ongoing issues with insufficient wastewater infrastructure capacity.
Many developments in cities such as Derry and Newry have been stuck in limbo due to a lack of available water connections, including thousands of social homes.
Mr Cartwright said: “The persistent issue of wastewater capacity – alongside protracted planning processes in some council areas and high costs – is creating an unacceptable bottleneck, preventing these growing numbers of starts from being converted into much-needed completed homes.
“We need urgent, targeted investment in our key infrastructure to unlock our housing supply.”
Last month, communities minister Gordon Lyons announced cuts in grant rates given to housing associations in Northern Ireland to build new homes.
Mr Lyons said he made the decision to cut grant funding “in the interest of securing the maximum possible number of new social homes” from his department’s budget of £177.5m for new social housing.
The move was criticised by the Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations, which cited “real concerns” about the future viability of many projects currently in development or close to commencement, particularly in areas of highest housing need.
In a statement to the Northern Ireland Assembly last week, Mr Lyons said that the executive had agreed a housing supply strategy with clear targets for social housing, but the department continues to receive “insufficient capital funding”.
He added: “Despite my efforts to secure an adequate budget allocation to meet the need for new social homes and my intention to continue to maximise delivery, I, along with the sector, have not received sufficient capital allocations in any budget rounds.
“I have taken the decision to review the funding allocation to housing associations, to ensure we get the most out of every pound we spend.”
These statistics on housebuilding are published by the DoF and reported by building control officers from each council in Northern Ireland.
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