Freedom of Information Archive

Freedom of Information

A library of responses

All FOI Responses

The figures keep climbing, and behind them are thousands of Belfast children growing up as best they can without a home. What will it take to change this picture?

Fri Jun 24 2022 | Right to a Home | Northern Ireland Housing Executive

A Grim Milestone: In Disturbing Increases on Previous Years, Over 4,400 Belfast Children Now Recognised as Homeless

The number of homeless households across Belfast is up 10% on last year's total, to 7,545. The rise in the number of homeless children is stark: in West Belfast, there are now 49% more homeless children than in 2019, and in North Belfast -- even more disturbingly -- there are 91% more homeless children now than in 2019. Where will this end?

In March 2022, as part of the Kind Economy initiative, PPR and the Housing4All group distributed food and supplies to asylum seekers who are living here but banned from working.

Tue Apr 05 2022 | Right to a Home | NIHE, Department for Communities, The Executive Office, Northern Ireland Office, Home Office

FOI Requests Reveal Huge Increase in the Use of Hotel Accommodation for Asylum Seekers and their Families

The percentage of NI asylum seekers accommodated in temporary hotel rooms rose dramatically from 2% in June to 56% between June-December 2021. Public authorities have been silent on the matter.

The Housing Executive has consistently chosen to place a large percentage of Syrian families in private rented accommodation in deprived areas of high demand and clear shortage of social housing.

Fri Feb 04 2022 | Right to a Home | Housing Executive

A Place to Call Home? - Refugees in Belfast's Housing System

In an unequal housing system dominated by the private market, defined by peace walls and influenced by violence, why are vulnerable refugees being placed in deprived areas with the highest social housing demand? We use the Freedom of Information Act to dig deeper.

Between them the seven New Lodge tower blocks contain over half of the New Lodge/Carlisle area's social homes.

Tue Jan 25 2022 | Right to a Home | Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Department for Communities

Devil in the Detail - What's the plan for social housing in the New Lodge, North Belfast?

In this investigation we use Freedom of Information requests to take a closer look at the Minister for Communities' announcement of a £37million housing regeneration project for the New Lodge. FOI requests have also been used in an effort to track responses to fire safety recommendations at the tower blocks.

As shown in an earlier post, across Northern Ireland, as of end March 2021 there were at least 24,717 children in the nearly 44,000 households waiting for a social home. Of those children, at least 16,713 children were growing up in households in 'housing stress' -- and of them, at least 13,906 were living in households recognised as Full Duty Applicant homeless.

Wed Aug 04 2021 | Right to a Home | Northern Ireland Housing Executive