Patsy McGlone 8th July 2009

McGLONE - HOUSING NEEDS SOUND FINANCIAL BASIS

SDLP MLA for Mid-Ulster, Patsy McGlone, has said that the extra £20 million earmarked for housing maintenance in the delayed June budget monitoring round is very welcome, but it does not put social housing on the sound financial basis required to meet the needs of the economy, construction workers and people in housing need.

Mr McGlone said: “The immediate impact of this re-allocated money is that the Housing Executive will be able to resume spending on repairs and maintenance to bring housing executive homes up to a decent standard, as well as securing some 800 jobs at least for the rest of this year. This is particularly important in Mid-Ulster where the construction industry has been decimated by the economic crisis.

“But the fact is that the housing allocation is still £80 million short of where it was when Sinn Fein and the DUP drew up the Executive budget, and Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie has had to argue and fight all the way for every penny. Unfortunately, this latest re-allocation will do nothing for people denied home improvement grants. A lot of people have contacted my offices on these grant matters, and my party colleague, Minister Ritchie, is more than aware of these cases. The Office of First and Deputy First Minister have to be convinced to allocate further monies to help improve our housing stock and give much needed support to the construction industry and their suppliers.

“The Minister has made some progress in convincing these two parties of the economic importance of social housing. All the leading economists agree that it puts more money into the local economy and creates more local jobs than other government spending. The whole Executive should now back her prioritisation of social housing new-build and put the housing budget, including home improvements, on a sound financial footing.”

 

ENDS 08/07/09