South and East Belfast Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Ó Donnghaile Urges Action From Social Development Minister

Published: 27 September, 2007

East Belfast Representative Niall Ó Donnghaile has urged Margaret Ritchie to take action now following the revelation that 36,000 people are on housing waiting list.

Mr Ó Donnghaile said:

"The recent revelation that there are currently 36,000 people on the waiting list for social housing is indicative that a crisis currently prevails.

In inner East Belfast the waiting list has been growing steadily over the past number of years. In the Short Strand there is a growing sense that the only way to get a house is to leave the area. This is while there are a number of sites which could be used for social housing development including that on which the fortified Mountpottinger part-time PSNI barracks currently sits.

Tomorrow the Carvill Group are due to unveil their plans for the development of the old Sirocco site.

One immediate course of action that the Minister could take is to engage with the Carvill Group, in conjunction with the local community, to ensure that there is a sufficient number of social housing units included in this development in order to help alleviate the housing crisis in East Belfast."