Cllr Tony Hassan. Sinn Fein’s housing spokesperson.
SINN Féin housing spokesperson Councillor Tony Hassan has welcomed the news that housing associations in Derry city have and are making more planning applications for new social homes across the city next year.
He also called for a review of the points allocation system for those on the social housing waiting list.
The Housing spokesperson said: “This is a good news story for social housing provision in Derry and for the hundreds of people on the homeless waiting list.
“I have been campaigning for years for more social homes to be built across this city so it’s great to see things are moving in the right direction with the amount of homes being built at the moment.
“The new build of social homes brings new hope.”
Cllr Hassan added: “With over 2,000 family’s on the waiting list for social homes the points system for a new home are in the region of 190/200 points.
“And still many family’s on the homeless waiting list with less points in the region of between 130/150 points will not see a new home in the next 4/5 years.
“Even with the numbers of homes that are promised these family’s must be helped by the Housing Executive by having an overhaul of the points system to give them a chance of being allocated a new social home.
“I will continue that lobby at every opportunity to ensure that the need for new social housing schemes is kept firmly on the agenda in Derry.”
