Rapidly increasing property prices are locking numerous young people and families in Northern Ireland out of home ownership, Alliance Communities Spokesperson Sian Mulholland MLA has warned.

The North Antrim representative raised the issue following the publication of the latest House Price Index, which reveals that the average cost of a home in Northern Ireland has risen by more than 20% since 2023 to stand near £200,000. In light of these figures, Ms Mulholland has urged the Communities Minister to present a definitive strategy to tackle the ongoing housing crisis and assist individuals trying to purchase their first home. Ms Mulholland said: "When house prices are rising by over 20% in three years and so many families are locked out of home ownership because they can't afford the sky-high deposit, it tells us very clearly that our housing market is fundamentally broken. Owning your own home has become a pipe dream for many people and they will rightly be asking what the Communities Minister is doing to boost housing supply and give first-time buyers the support they need to get onto the property ladder.

"Building more homes is a massive part of the solution, but there are wider innovations that could also be explored to help address the housing crisis as well. We have thousands of vacant properties across Northern Ireland that could make a difference, while Alliance has also called for a cap on the number of short-term holiday lets to help boost housing supply.

"Tackling Northern Ireland's housing crisis, and the impact it is having on the day to day lives of our constituents, needs to be the Minister's top priority, not the history of America or where JD Vance's ancestors were born. Having a place to call your own and raise your family has become an unreachable goal for too many people in Northern Ireland, and without urgent action, that will be the Department's lasting legacy from this Assembly mandate."