Chapter 9 - Meeting Housing Needs
Introduction
Decent housing is a fundamental human need. The varied housing
needs of the whole community need to be met. That includes
the availability of affordable and special needs housing.
One of the aims of the Strategy is to facilitate the supply
of additional housing to meet the projected needs of the Region
over the next 25 years.
Northern Ireland is a region characterised by strong population
growth and a youthful age structure. The continued impact
of population change, household formation trends and the replacement
of obsolete housing is expected to generate an overall need
for 250,000 additional housing units by 2025, to accommodate
a future population level of 1.835 million.
The Northern Ireland Administration is committed to working
in partnership with the private sector and other housing agencies
to ensure that everyone should have the opportunity of a decent
home. The principles that underpin housing policy include
the need to:
- widen opportunity and choice
- improve the supply and quality of
housing; and
- promote sustainable development.
 A
balanced and integrated approach to meeting regional housing
needs
Housing is the main land use in settlements and will continue
to be the biggest consumer of undeveloped land. A fundamental
spatial relationship is the link between the location of housing
areas and centres of employment. This exerts a major influence
on where people choose to live. Employment creation can generate
a demand for new supplies of local housing. Conversely, housing
development can in itself be a key driver of physical, economic
and social change in urban and rural areas, and a valuable
regenerative tool in targeting local areas of decline.
A second major influence on housing patterns is personal
choice. This is expressed in a variety of preferences about
type of housing, perceptions about preferred localities, availability
of services, and personal social networks. Strategic planning
must take realistic account of the broad grain of the housing
market while recognising unfettered market choices can produce
sub-optimal development patterns which have adverse impacts
on environmental resources and the built heritage.
Most of the houses built now will be occupied for about
80 to 100 years. It is important, therefore, to consider carefully
the implications for future generations.
The Regional Development Strategy takes a long-term perspective
and sets out a strategic approach to the distribution and
form of housing throughout Northern Ireland. The aim is to
ensure the future pattern of housing, and its critical relationships
with employment, transport and the environment, are managed
within the principles of sustainable development to secure
the maximum benefits for all the people.
The approach to the location of future housing development
is consistent with the Spatial Development Strategy, and places
particular emphasis on balanced and integrated development
which reflects the Guiding Principles (C3
) by:
- integrating housing with economic
development, services, transport and the local environment
to achieve more sustainable patterns of development which
make better use of resources;
- helping to create a more cohesive
society by a balanced spread of housing across the Region
and a high degree of integration with the Regional Strategic
Transport Network of road and rail corridors; and
- fostering a greater sense of community
with a focus on place, the value of the individual, and
high quality living environments.
Future housing distribution guidance is set out in the form
of housing growth indicators, designed to secure a balance
between the BMA and its hinterland, and the rest of the Region,
and to give guidance at the local level (C9:
SPG-HOU 3). Within these parameters, the distinctive housing
needs of the rural community are considered in more detail
as an integral part of the chapter on Rural Northern Ireland
(C8: SPG-RNI 2).
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