30 June 2000

£4m BOOST FOR HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SECTORS

A £2m lifeline for community groups and an extra £2m to provide adaptations to the homes of 2,000 Housing Executive tenants with disabilities was announced today by Nigel Dodds MLA, Minister for Social Development. The money has been secured as part of the 'Agenda for Government' after being identified by the Minister as meeting the needs of key groups at this time.

Giving details of the funding Mr Dodds said: "The extra £2m for the Housing Executive will go directly into their adaptation programme for people with disabilities and pay for work to 2,000 homes. I am very conscious of the financial pressures on the Executive's budget. The Executive's budget for this type of work will now increase to £24m. This extra money will enable the Executive to start work sooner than planned and will be good news for the many tenants who have been waiting for work to be carried out to their homes."

The Minister also confirmed a £2m support package for the community and voluntary sectors to bridge the gap between the current and next European funding programmes. Continuing Mr Dodds said: "This is good news for the community and voluntary sectors. I am very aware of the financial pressures that a number of groups face while they wait on the allocation of funds from the new European programme. The extra £2m will provide a significant 'financial bridge' and ensure the continued existence of a number of important community projects across Northern Ireland. Groups eligible for the extra funding will be identified and invited to apply for funding."