Housing Executive outlines £62.65m investment across Mid and East Antrim

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive has detailed more than £62 million of investment across Mid and East Antrim during 2024/25, as councillors were briefed on extensive works to improve homes, support vulnerable residents and maintain community cohesion.

Chief Executive Grainia Long delivered the update at the annual Housing Investment Plan presentation on Tuesday 2 December 2025, outlining progress in both the organisation’s Strategic Housing Authority functions and its role as a public landlord.

She confirmed that £4.67 million was invested in planned maintenance and stock improvements in the borough last year, with a further £7.45 million proposed for 2025/26. A total of £14.90 million was also directed towards energy-efficiency measures, with plans to sustain this level of investment in the year ahead.

Ms Long said the organisation had been able to ramp up improvement works due to recent rent settlements.

“The rent levels set over the last three years have given us some additional capacity to invest in our own homes. Last year, we were able to make significant investments in improving our homes and, assuming rent levels remain stable, we plan to invest £750 million into our housing stock across Northern Ireland over the next three years.”

However, she cautioned that pressures on capital funding remain a concern.

“We are pleased to be able to deliver for our tenants; however, we do have concerns about the impact of the housing budget for 2025/26, specifically on the ambitions for increasing housing supply.”

New social homes still falling short of need

Investment in new-build housing saw 295 housing association units on site across Mid and East Antrim as of March 2025, alongside 117 social home completions delivered during 2024/25.

But despite this progress, Ms Long warned the demand for social housing continues to outstrip supply.

“Any addition to housing stock is a benefit; however, the pressure on future capital spending will continue into 2025/26 and we will see another year where the number of new social homes being built falls short of what is required.

“We must continue to collaborate with councils and the housing sector to find solutions.”

Support for vulnerable residents

The Housing Executive invested £4.61 million through the Supporting People programme last year, helping deliver 67 services for vulnerable residents across the borough. In total, 1,407 people received housing support.

Meanwhile, homelessness pressures remain significant. In 2024/25, 1,287 households presented as homeless, with 1,010 accepted as full duty applicants—an increase from the previous year. Ring-fenced funding for 2025/26 will prioritise early intervention and homelessness prevention.

Temporary accommodation usage also remained high, with 679 placements recorded at a cost of £1.17 million.

Building stronger, safer communities

Alongside its core housing responsibilities, the Housing Executive maintained its focus on community cohesion and safety. More than £114,650 was made available through community grants, cohesion initiatives and community safety programmes.

Ms Long said:

“We recognise the importance of inclusion and good relations in helping people sustain their tenancies and build strong communities.

“We know this is more important than ever when we continue to face deep rooted challenges in the housing sector.”

Economic benefits and future commitments

The Chief Executive highlighted the wider economic impact of the Housing Executive’s activity, noting continued investment in local supply chains and employment.

She added:

“This update on our Housing Investment Plan coincides with the start of our new three-year Corporate Strategy – Our Promise to Our Communities. The strategy commits us to contributing more to the health of our customers, building cohesive neighbourhoods, driving sustainable growth opportunities and brighter futures for generations across Northern Ireland.

“Whilst we recognise the challenging environment we are operating in, we are also confident that there are many opportunities to build on the great work carried out through partnerships with our local councils.

“I am looking forward to continuing this work as we deliver against our shared goal of providing better places to live for the people and communities we serve.”

Key Statistics (2024/25 unless stated)

Overall Investment

• Total Housing Executive investment: £62.65m

• Projected 2025/26 investment: £23.40m

Maintenance & Improvements

• Planned maintenance & stock improvements: £4.67m

• Response maintenance spend: £9.40m (95.05% customer satisfaction)

• Planned 2025/26 spend: £7.45m (planned works); £7.82m (response maintenance)

Energy Efficiency

• Energy efficiency investment: £14.90m

• Affordable Warmth Scheme: 188 installations in 120 homes (£0.57m)

• Energy Efficiency Programme: 1,138 units planned (£6.80m, 2024–2027)

• Heating upgrades: 264 systems (£1.20m)

• Heating oil delivered: 328,000 litres

Housing Supply

• Social housing completions: 117 units

• On-site new-build units: 295

• Wheelchair-accessible homes delivered: 6 (meeting 10% target)

• Projected future programme: 195 units (2025/26–2027/28)

Housing Need

• Social housing waiting list: 3,248 applicants (2,458 in housing stress)

• Rural applicants: 768 (572 in stress)

• Urban applicants: 2,480 (1,886 in stress)

Homelessness

• Presentations: 1,287

• Full duty applicants: 1,010

• Temporary accommodation placements: 679

• Main reasons for homelessness included specialised support needs (32%), domestic violence (32%), neighbourhood harassment (15%), and loss of private rental (6%).

Support & Community Investment

• Supporting People Programme: £4.61m supporting 1,407 individuals

• Disabled adaptations: £1.16m for 374 adaptations

• Community grant funding: £114.65k overall

• Tenancy sustainment rate: 90% (above 86% baseline)