92 local households in temporary accommodation

A total of 92 households in the Causeway Coast and Glens area are in temporary Housing Executive accommodation, it has been revealed.

East Derry MLA Claire Sugden says the statistics highlight the 'serious and deteriorating' local housing situation.

The Independent MLA said the construction of both social and private housing is 'desperately needed' across the north coast and has urged the Executive to ramp up efforts to fund and facilitate new builds, as well as protect the rights of local tenants.

“The need for new social housing has been clear for many years,” Ms Sugden said.

“What has become increasingly clear as well is that private builds also need to be encouraged and facilitated as much as possible.

“Planning processes need to be changed to help this, and developers encouraged to come and work in Northern Ireland in general.

Claire Sugden MLA.

“With local households finding it increasingly difficult to obtain and keep homes in the towns they live, securing long-term options for people also needs to be prioritised.

“House and rent prices have rocketed, particularly along the coast, with the number of available and affordable properties dwindling.”

Ms Sugden said housing is a 'serious worry' for people amid a host of other current pressures.

“At a time when people are concerned with having enough money for heating or putting food on the table, housing uncertainty is the last thing people need,” she continued.

County Derry teenager speaks about living with autism

With World Autism Awareness Day taking place on April 2, Orla Mullan speaks to Caoimhe Canavan about her experience of living with autism, the challenges she faces and raising awareness through her online blog.

“I have repeatedly called for action on this, yet little has been done in this Assembly mandate. I have specifically asked numerous Assembly questions to the Minister for Communities.

“More than a thousand social housing units are needed – just in East Londonderry – but only 154 have been planned for.

“A strong, focussed and stable Executive is needed following the May election, with the drive to resolve issues like this for people. Carrying on in the same way is not going to get the results we deserve.”

Meanwhile, SDLP MLA Cara Hunter has said the current housing crisis on the North Coast is 'destroying communities'.

Ms Hunter said the lack of affordable and social housing, along with soaring rents was forcing people to move away from the area.

She said addressing the housing crisis must be a key priority for the next Executive.

The East Derry MLA said: “The housing crisis is having a serious impact on people on the North Coast and further afield. We currently have thousands of people in East Derry on social housing waiting lists, huge numbers in acute need, with few new homes being built and over a thousand homes lying empty.

“It’s not just those who are waiting for social housing that are being negatively affected. Young people are seriously struggling to get themselves on the housing ladder, with the large sums required for a deposit being beyond the reach of many working families without support from relatives.

Cara Hunter MLA.

“Homeowners and those living in private rentals are also being impacted, we are dealing with soaring fuel, food and energy bills and those who are renting are having the cost of this passed on to them with rents steadily rising from just a few years ago.

"There is also huge competition within our rental market, I’m aware of instances of up to 60 people applying for the one home, this just isn’t sustainable.

"All these problems have come together to create a perfect storm, leaving many young people with no choice but to move away from the area they grew up in and the community they call home.

“We won’t be able to fix the housing crisis overnight, but we need to work to address it as soon as possible before things get even worse for people across the North.

"The problems that exist were simply not addressed by Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey over the last Assembly mandate and when Stormont returns we need to work together to come up with radical proposals to tackle this emergency and ensure that everyone has the right to a home they can call their own.”

East Derry MLAs ask most questions in the county

Collectively, the area's five MLAs asked almost 2,500 questions.