Write a comment
Newry, Mourne and Down District Councillors have been briefed on Housing Executive investment plans for the district, with figures showing a total of £53.37m was spent locally during 2025/26. The briefing also set out the scale of housing need in the area, with 3,232 applicants recorded in housing stress on the waiting list as of 31 March 2026.
Housing Executive Interim Chief Executive, Catherine McFarland provided the update to Councillors at the annual Housing Investment Plan meeting in Downpatrick on 24 August 2026, setting out progress made over the past 12 months alongside future plans for the district. She said challenges within the housing sector remained significant, particularly around improving existing homes and meeting demand for new homes and temporary accommodation.
Figures presented to Councillors showed single and small family households made up 73% of the housing stress waiting list in the council area. During 2025/26, 1151 people presented as homeless in the district, of whom 720 were awarded homeless full duty status, while 397 homes were allocated to waiting list applicants.
McFarland said: "Our focus is on targeted investment in housing supply, improving the quality our own homes and providing support to those who need it most - this is essential in improving outcomes for individuals, families and communities." She said £6.55m had been invested in Housing Executive properties in the district during 2025/26, including energy efficiency measures, with £6.71m proposed for 2026/27.
Work carried out on Housing Executive homes in the district last year included new heating installed in 68 homes, 484 double glazing installations, bathroom and kitchen rewiring in 124 homes, replacement kitchens in 20 properties and 133 completed doors. Improvements were also made to bathrooms in 35 properties, and four properties received low carbon scheme work. A total of 6 Housing Executive properties were sold to sitting tenants during 2025/26.
While the level of investment was welcomed by many tenants, McFarland said Councillors had been made aware of the need for access to longer term funding streams in order to continue investing in homes to a decent standard.
On new-build housing, the update showed 435 housing association units on-site in the district at March 2026, with 339 more planned to start within the next three years. McFarland said any addition to housing stock was a benefit, and the Housing Executive continued to make the case for funding to meet need, working with Newry, Mourne and Down Council and the wider housing sector to identify opportunities for further development in the years ahead.
The briefing also covered support for vulnerable households, with £6.64m invested through the Supporting People programme, funding 61 services, including 49 supported housing accommodation based schemes, and providing housing support to 1,296 people during the year. A ringfenced budget for 2025/26 and 2026/27 will focus on homelessness prevention and providing the right help at the right time for people who need it.
McFarland said the Housing Executive's investment had also supported the economic future of the district, with a steady, positive impact on employment and local supply chains, reflecting the wider economic role housing plays for communities throughout Northern Ireland. She said the organisation remained confident there were opportunities to build on work carried out in partnership with local councils, and she looked forward to continuing that work as part of a shared goal of providing better places to live for the people and communities served.
Further information is available at www.nihe.gov.uk.
