Ards & North Down Housing Investment Plan Annual Update 2016 Contents 3 Foreword 5 Introduction 6 Context 15 Theme one – Identify and meet housing need and demand 29 Theme two – Improving people’s homes 33 Theme three – Transforming people’s lives 39 Theme four – Enabling sustainable neighbourhoods 45 Theme five – Delivering quality services 47 Appendix one – Housing need and demand 48 Appendix two – Social housing development programme 51 Appendix three – Maintenance programme 54 Appendix four – Social housing waiting list details 57 Appendix five – Housing Executive stock data 59 Appendix six – Contact details 60 Appendix seven – Glossary This document is available in alternative formats. Contact: Land and Regeneration (Housing Analytics) The Housing Centre, 2 Adelaide Street, Belfast BT2 8PB Tel: 03448 920 900 Fax: (028) 9031 8775 Textphone: 0845 6504381 Email: [email protected] Website: www.nihe.gov.uk All mapping material within the document is Crown copyright and is reproduced with permission of Land and Property Services under delegated authority from the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office, © Crown copyright and Database rights NIMA ES&LA209.3. 1 Ards & North Down Housing Investment Plan Annual Update 2016 Geography of Ards and North Down Borough Council Ards and North Down is divided into seven district electoral areas 2 Foreword Last year saw the launch of our four a community plan. The Housing which aims to deliver top class housing year Housing Investment Plans (HIP), Executive, as a statutory partner in and regeneration solutions to meeting which identified housing related planning and community planning, the needs of communities and partners outcomes to initiate discussions with has actively engaged with each of the now and in the future. councils and stakeholders to develop a new council’s Local Development Plan shared vision for the future of housing (LDP) and community planning teams, We look forward in 2016 to further in your council area. other statutory partners and community developing our relationships with representatives. councils and other stakeholders This year we are launching our first through the planning and community HIP annual update. The annual update Joint working throughout the last planning processes to build lasting reports on the progress of the Housing year has enabled us to develop strong housing solutions to benefit the whole Executive and other agencies to relationships and to benefit from community. achieve these outcomes and on how collaboration and sharing information. we intend to deliver housing ambitions The HIP has been instrumental in this over the remaining three years of the process. HIP, and the longer term. Close working with stakeholders and In 2015, new powers were introduced our role in the community plan are key Donald Hoodless to councils, including responsibility elements in the Housing Executive’s Chairman for planning and a duty to produce ‘Journey to Excellence’ programme, HOUSING EXECUTIVE REGIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS 2015/16 has been an exceptional year for the Housing Executive. Over this period: • Working alongside housing associations we saw 1,568 new homes started last year. • Our response maintenance performance exceeded targets in terms of tenant satisfaction and completion rates. • 25,100 of our homes were included in the largest planned maintenance programme for many years, which saw expenditure of £85.3m. • Over £81m has been channelled into regional services, helping vulnerable people across Northern Ireland, including £8.3m on tackling homelessness and £73m through the Supporting People programme. • 9,973 homes were supported through private sector grants including a spend of over £15m on fuel poverty schemes and over £12m spent on grants for private homeowners. • £676.7m in housing benefit was administered in the last year to 165,314 customers. • In May 2015, the organisation secured the Investors in People ‘Silver Award’ accreditation. The organisation was re-credited Customer Service Excellence (CSE) with overall customer satisfaction levels for the current year running over 81%. • The Housing Executive has met all of its key targets for 2015/16. Importantly, we have delivered positive outcomes for customers across the range of Housing Executive functions in both landlord and regional services. The Housing Executive is well placed to continue to deliver much needed investment and services to people in Northern Ireland in the years ahead. 3 Ards & North Down Housing Investment Plan Annual Update 2016 4 Introduction Ards & North Down In 2015, the Housing Investment Plan The annual update retains the HIP Themes and Outcomes 2015-2019 Housing framework based around five themes Executive and associated outcomes. Detailed THEME ONE published the information of proposals is set out in Identify and meet housing need Ards and North the Appendices. All statistics in this and demand Down HIP document refer to the Ards and North 1. Identify new housing 2015-19, which Down Borough Council unless otherwise requirements. aims to provide stated. a long term 2. Increase the supply of affordable and ambitious renting to meet the needs of vision for the development of housing. Vision communities. This year we have produced our first The housing sector throughout Northern 3. Assist home ownership. annual update, the purpose of which is Ireland faces a number of challenges to record progress of actions set out in in the current economic climate but is THEME TWO the HIP for 2015/16 and to detail new committed to working in a way that Improving people’s homes proposals for 2016-19. The annual goes beyond a simple ‘bricks and mortar’ update should be read in conjunction approach. The housing vision for the 4. Improve the quality of the housing with the HIP 2015-19. Council is one where: stock. The HIP sets out a strategic direction 5. Develop low carbon homes and for housing across all tenures, both new “housing plays its part reduce fuel poverty. and existing. Proposals detailed within in creating a peaceful, this annual update seek to achieve this THEME THREE by promoting development, improving inclusive, prosperous and Transforming people’s lives health and wellbeing, reducing fair society”... inequality, and by creating more 6. Provide suitable accommodation cohesive, safe, vibrant and successful and support services for vulnerable residents. places for all. This vision for the Council seeks to Since the publication of the HIP, the deliver sustainable communities, living 7. Homelessness is prevented or is Housing Executive, as a statutory in dwellings of a decent standard and in addressed effectively. community planning and LDP partner, sufficient numbers to meet local needs has welcomed the opportunity to work in both urban and rural areas. THEME FOUR with the council and stakeholders to Enabling sustainable incorporate and embed the HIP vision Themes and Outcomes neighbourhoods and outcomes within community planning and LDP processes. Success for housing providers 8. Regenerate neighbourhoods. necessitates measuring the effect of With limited and reduced public 9. Create safer and cohesive interventions therefore, under each of communities. resources, the partnership approach, the five themes, a number of outcomes which the community plan facilitates, have been identified. will become increasingly important THEME FIVE to deliver good quality services and Delivering quality services housing solutions for local communities. 10. Deliver better services. 5 Ards & North Down Housing Investment Plan Annual Update 2016 Ards and North Down Borough The HIP and the Community Plan Context Council Thematic working The Council and their statutory Strategic Context groups: partners are developing a community plan. Housing has a key role to play The HIP annual update has been developed within the context of the People and Places: in this process and can contribute to achieving many of these outcomes. From Northern Ireland policy framework. 1. Children and Young People; November 2015 the council have been There has been significant development 2. Outcomes for Older People; gathering and interrogating evidence in this area since the publication of and identifying potential outcomes. the HIP. The relevant policies and 3. Reducing Poverty and Addressing strategies, which set the financial, legal The work of the five thematic groups Inequalities; and policy parameters within which the will feed into the overall community housing industry currently operates in 4. Resilience, Social Inclusion, plan which is scheduled for publication Northern Ireland, are discussed. Community Cohesion, Civic Pride by March 2017 following a period of and Voluntering. consultation. The draft Programme for Safety, Health and Well-being: Government (PfG) The HIP and the Local Development On 26 May 2016, the NI Executive 5. Lifestyle Choices; Plan (LDP) agreed the draft Programme for 6. Safety and Crime. The LDP contributes to the development Government (PfG) Framework 2016- of sustainable safe and cohesive 21. The draft framework contains Economic Prosperity: communities and to meeting the needs 14 strategic outcomes which, taken of all our citizens. together, set a clear direction of travel 7. Education and Job Prospects; The LDP will influence housing and enable continuous improvement 8. Business Development and development in the Council for fifteen on the essential components of social Economic Opportunities. years. It is therefore important that the wellbeing. A consultation on the