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20 September 2005

FIVE YEAR PLAN FOR SUPPORTING PEOPLE LAUNCHED

Social Development Minister David Hanson MP today reaffirmed his commitment to addressing the problems faced by vulnerable people in Northern Ireland.

Speaking at the Northern Ireland Housing Forum, where he launched a five year strategy for housing supported services in Northern Ireland the Minister said: "Since taking up my post here I have made it clear that I want to focus on the vulnerable members of our society and to do everything possible to ensure that vulnerable people have the opportunity to live in homes which are fit, warm and comfortable."

The "Supporting People Strategy for 2005-2010" sets out the Northern Ireland Housing Executive's plans to improve supported services and its vision for housing related services for the coming years.

In launching the strategy, the Minister went on to say: "Supported housing services have an important role to play in helping vulnerable people live independent lives in the community and reducing homelessness. In the past, services available were determined by the requirements of the funder rather than the needs of the individual. The Supporting People Strategy, which is underpinned by significant Government funding, is a clear indication of how we have moved to a situation whereby the provision of support services is determined by the needs of individuals and not by the requirements of funding sources."

The Minister also highlighted a number of other initiatives which are aimed at helping the most vulnerable. Through his Chairmanship of the Inter Departmental Group on Fuel Poverty the Minister has taken personal responsibility for monitoring progress towards achieving the target of eradicating fuel poverty in vulnerable households by 2010. Significant funding has been made available in this regard to the Housing Executive which completes around 9,000 heating replacements in its own stock annually.

"Over the past 4 years the funding available for the Warm Homes Scheme, the main programme for addressing fuel poverty in the private sector, has been increased from £3 million in 2001 to just over £12 million in the current financial year. I am pleased to say that I have been successful in acquiring a further £2.9 million for the Warm Homes Scheme in the current financial year and this will ensure that the targets which we have set - 8,250 households each year, can be met."

Mr Hanson also outlined his commitment to assisting the homeless. He said that he intends to launch a strategy later this year on the causes and affects of homelessness. He explained that addressing homelessness is more than providing bricks and mortar and must be supplemented by suitable housing support services to assist vulnerable people to live in the community.

Also speaking at the launch, Brian Rowntree, Chairman of the Housing Executive, said: "The Supporting People programme currently funds a range of housing support services in over 900 schemes, providing support to approximately 15,000 service users at any one time. Government has committed substantial funding to the programme and this is making a difference to and improving the lives of vulnerable people. Services can range from provision of wardens in sheltered housing schemes, to housing related advice services, to capacity and confidence building on housing matters."

NOTES TO EDITORS:

  1. The Supporting People (SP) programme is a UK wide reform of the way in which housing support services are commissioned and funded. The programme was implemented in Northern Ireland in April 2003, and will represent an investment in excess of £250million over the first five years. The Housing Executive is the Administering Authority for SP in Northern Ireland.

  2. The Housing Forum meets twice yearly and its membership is drawn from all those who have an interest in or impact upon housing in the statutory and voluntary sectors, the building industry, the Northern Ireland Housing Council, the banks and building societies and the universities. The meetings are used as a vehicle to share and communicate the issues impacting on housing in the province.

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