29 September 2006

NORTHERN IRELAND HOUSING STATISTICS 2005-2006 PUBLISHED

The Northern Ireland Housing Statistics 2005-06, detailing recent trends in housing, was published by the Department for Social Development today.

Some of its key findings with year-on comparisons include:

• There were approximately 702,400 (provisional) dwellings in Northern Ireland at 31st March 2006, a rise of 7,700 (1.1%) on March 2005
• Owner-occupied dwellings accounted for 483,700, i.e. 72.8% of total occupied stock (664,300).
10,745 residential planning applications were granted, a decrease of 14.3% on 2004-05
• 15,184 new dwellings were started during 2005-06, of which 92% were commissioned by the private sector.
• 20,121 households presented as homeless, a rise of 15.9% on 2004-05
• Total number of Northern Ireland Housing Executive tenancies decreased from 93,477 at March 2005 to stand at 90,931 at 31 March 2006.
• The number of dwellings sold by Northern Ireland Housing Executive decreased by 16.7% from the previous year to 2,683 for 2005-06.
2,614 actions for mortgage possession were recorded for 2005-06, an increase of 19.5% from the previous year.
• The average price of National House Building Council-registered houses sold during 2005-06 was £134,000 (provisional), an increase of 13.6%.
• The average rent per week in Northern Ireland in 2004-05 from the Family Resource Survey was £61.90, some £42.96 below the UK average (£104.86).
• Construction output for Private Sector new housing was 17.2% higher in January-March 2006 (£289.6milion) than for the same period in 2005 (£247.2million).
• The average house price, according to Valuation and Lands Agency data, in 2002-03 was £97,700. For 2004-05 the average price had risen to £113,900 (provisional).
• The median advance for first time buyers in 2001 was £50,000. By 2005 the median advance had increased to £77,480 (55% higher).

NOTES TO EDITORS:

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 publication, 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 2005-06 are available on the Department for Social Development's website at: http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/housing_stats.htm

6. Further enquiries should be addressed to:

Statistics and Research Branch (Core)
Department for Social Development
Level Four
James House
2-4 Cromac Avenue
Gasworks Business Park
Ormeau Road
Belfast
BT7 2JA

Telephone 028 9081 9939
Fax 028 9081 9961
E-mail Pauline.Ryan@dsdni.gov.uk

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