Communities Minister Gordon Lyons MLA: The future of housing reform

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons MLA reflects on two years of housing progress and pledges further positive reform.

Delivering meaningful housing reform in Northern Ireland and putting people and families at the centre of that reform is a priority for me.

I am committed to making a positive difference.

As Communities Minister, I know having the right strategies, action plans, and programmes is essential.

But ultimately, housing is about people. It is about community and connection. And it is about improving lives. That is what motivates me.

A year ago, I told agendaNi that housing was at the heart of government and a key focus of my mandate. One year on, and despite the constraints of a challenging budgetary landscape, that commitment has only strengthened.

A safe, warm, and affordable home is the foundation of so many positive life outcomes.

The benefits span health, education, and economic wellbeing, and that is why a holistic, collaborative, and cross departmental approach is essential.

The Housing Supply Strategy, launched in my first year as Minister, sits at the centre of Northern Ireland’s long-term housing future.

It also highlights the scale of the issues we face.

I am committed to delivering this strategy and will shortly bring forward the first action plan for Executive approval.

I want to see this action plan as a real step change in how government views and prioritises housing.

I have already started this process. Housing is now a priority in the Programme for Government, and I have allocated more funding than ever to our new build programme: more than £207 million in 2025/26.

The ambition is to deliver at least 100,000 more homes by 2039, with at least one-third of those social homes, and I believe we can achieve that.

We have a target of commencing at least 5,850 new build social homes by 2027 and there are approximately 5,500 social homes currently under construction across Northern Ireland.

While I have committed a significant proportion of my budget to more social house building, I will continue to press for more as I know more needs to be done.

My plans are not just about getting more money; I want to get the most from the money we already have.

I have therefore initiated two reviews into grant support and quality standards to drive efficiency and maximise the number of new social homes delivered from the Department’s budget.

Revitalising the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) and securing UK Government agreement for borrowing powers is another key priority.

In June 2025, I secured a significant milestone when it was agreed that the treatment of NIHE borrowing would form part of negotiations on a new Northern Ireland Fiscal Framework.

However, a long-term, sustainable solution is urgently required to help NIHE protect and improve its homes, and this is something I will continue to strive for.

Energy efficiency and affordability are also critical, and that is why, in February 2026, I launched the Executive’s Warm Healthy Homes Strategy, a long-term, cross government commitment to tackle fuel poverty.

A key proposal within the strategy is a new Warm Healthy Homes Fund, a flagship scheme delivering energy efficient improvements to households most in need.

The fund requires a £150 million investment, and I will be seeking Executive support to ensure its delivery and success.

I have also delivered a range of new and innovative programmes to increase supply and improve the quality of our homes, including:

• the planned delivery of 300 new build affordable rent homes for low income households;

• approving NIHE purchase of 600 homes for use as temporary accommodation to reduce reliance on costly and unsuitable hotel or B&B placements;

• the Northern Ireland Cladding Safety Scheme, which has already delivered £9.9 million to ensure high rise buildings meet current safety standards;

• working with the NIHE to implement a review of how social homes are allocated; and

• securing a ring fenced £2.5 million allocation for strategic homelessness prevention in 2025/26.

Those experiencing homelessness are at the sharp end. I am committed to tackling homelessness by continuing to work with other departments, the NIHE, and third sector delivery partners to make homelessness rare, brief, and non recurrent.

Alongside the Department of Health, I recently launched New Foundations, an innovative project providing young people leaving care with settled, affordable accommodation and the wraparound support needed to transition successfully to independent living.

We are also finalising a new high rise residential building safety policy tailored specifically for Northern Ireland, and in the coming weeks, I will seek Executive approval to bring forward new legislation.

Considering the financial constraints, complexities, and challenges faced, I am proud of the progress made so far.

I am also acutely aware there is much more to be done.

Continuing this vital work and delivering positive change for people and families across Northern Ireland will remain my focus in the year ahead.