Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has acknowledged progress across various areas of housing in Northern Ireland but stressed that significant work remains to address the challenges facing the sector.

Addressing the Northern Ireland Housing Conference, which was attended by a range of stakeholders and delivery partners, Minister Lyons delivered the keynote speech.

Reflecting on the past year, he stated: "When I spoke last year, as a new Minister, there was a sense of optimism at new beginnings. But this was tempered by the realism of the situation we face in housing. Yet as I said then, and repeat now, good housing is the foundation to so much in life. Housing underpins positive outcomes in health, education and many, many other areas."

Minister Lyons highlighted several key achievements over the last 12 months, including the prioritisation of housing in the Programme for Government and the establishment of the Housing Supply Strategy, which he described as "an agreed and collective way forward."

He outlined specific initiatives and announcements, such as additional funding for homelessness services, the removal of Intimidation Points from the Housing Selection Scheme, plans to reduce spending on temporary accommodation, and an investment of over £170 million in new social housing. As of the end of February, approximately 5,200 social houses were under construction across Northern Ireland.

The Minister also unveiled plans to build 300 new, affordable homes for rent, targeting individuals and families unlikely to access social housing but struggling with private rental costs. Furthermore, he announced the allocation of an additional £153 million to support Co-Ownership in delivering 4,000 homes over the next four years and increased the property value limit for Co-Ownership products to £210,000, aiming to broaden access to homeownership.

While acknowledging the progress made and the collaborative efforts of various partners and stakeholders, Minister Lyons recognised that "there is still much to do."

Looking ahead, his priorities include continuing to deliver good quality, sustainable, and affordable homes, revitalising the Housing Executive, exploring new funding avenues, improving the approach to tackling tenancy fraud in social housing, and ensuring people are better equipped to heat their homes through the development of a fuel poverty strategy.

In conclusion, Minister Lyons expressed optimism about the future, stating: "Through innovation - by discovering ways to do more with the resources we have - I am certain we can continue to move forward with confidence and see more successes throughout this year."