22 September 2005
STATISTICAL PRESS RELEASE - NORTHERN IRELAND HOUSING STATISTICS ANNUAL 2004-05 IS PUBLISHED
The Northern Ireland Housing Statistics Annual, detailing recent trends in housing, was published by the Department for Social Development today.
Some of its key findings with year-on comparisons include:
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- There were approximately 680,000 (provisional) dwellings in Northern Ireland at 31st March 2005, a rise of 800 (0.1%) on March 2004
- Owner-occupied dwellings accounted for 464,800, i.e. 72.1% of total occupied stock (644,900).
- 11,883 residential planning applications were granted, an increase of 25.1% on 2003-04.
- 14,228 new dwellings were started during 2004-05, of which 93% were commissioned by the private sector.
- 17,362 households presented as homeless, a rise of 1.2% on 2003-04
- Total number of Northern Ireland Housing Executive tenancies decreased from 96,507 at March 2004 to stand at 93,477 at 31st March 2005.
- The number of dwellings sold by Northern Ireland Housing Executive decreased by 44.2% from the previous year to 3,221 for 2004-05.
- 2,188 actions for mortgage possession were recorded for 2004-05, an increase of 5.3% from the previous year.
- The average price of National House Building Council-registered houses sold during 2004-05 was £118,000 (provisional), an increase of 9.3%.
1. Northern Ireland Housing Statistics is produced annually by the Statistics and Research Branch (Core) of the Department for Social Development. The publication contains information on housing stock, housing market activity, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and Housing Associations, and the private rented sector. Provisional and revised figures are indicated by (P) and (R) respectively.
2. Data for new house sales and price are derived from transactions for new private sector and Housing Associations dwellings notified by solicitors to the National House Building Council (NHBC), Buildmark House, Chiltern Avenue, Amersham, Bucks, HP6 5AP,Tel: 0870 241 4302, www.nhbc.co.uk
3. Details of all housing starts for the private sector are supplied by Building Control Offices for each of the 26 district council areas. Data for the social rented sector are provided by NIHE and the Housing Associations Branch of the Department for Social Development.
4. For the purposes of this bulletin, the terms 'house' and 'dwelling' are interchangeable and can be defined as 'a self-contained unit of accommodation, having all amenities available to each household (own kitchen, bathroom, toilet) regardless of shared entrance.' A 'house' or 'dwelling' will, therefore, comprise 'either one self-contained household space or a number of non self-contained household spaces'.
5. Key facts from the Housing Statistics 2004-05 are available on the Department for Social Development's website at:
www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/publications/housing_statistics.htm
Click here to print this press release.
