Choice Housing, one of Northern Irelands largest housing associations has marked a significant period of investment in the Belfast City Council area. Since 2018, Choice has invested over £66m in new social housing provision in the area with plans for further investment over the next five years.
Choice provides a mix of supported, sheltered and general needs housing across Northern Ireland, providing over 12,000 homes across the region, with over 5,000 in the Belfast City Council area.
Choice Group Director of Development, Jon Anderson said “There has been significant investment in the Belfast City Council area with 15 developments completed in the last three years, an investment of over £66m – showing our commitment to addressing the growing need for quality social housing in the area. Meeting housing need remains an absolute priority for Choice. We are proud to be part of the housing sector and contributed to the construction of 2,403 new social homes which started in Northern Ireland in 2020/21 – almost 30% more than the target for the year. ”
Last month Choice announced they secured a £50m loan from bLEND Funding Plc which will allow them to further invest in their social homes provision across Northern Ireland. The transaction between Choice and The Housing Finance Corporation (THFC) and their bLEND funding framework provides a competitive financing solution that gives Choice the freedom to invest more in their social housing pipeline.
Jon Anderson added, “The waiting list for social housing is significant and Choice Housing is working hard, with partners and statutory agencies to address this as a matter of urgency. The number of people on social housing waiting lists in Northern Ireland has risen by 10% during the pandemic. From the housing waiting lists and the demand from housing applicants for our stock, we recognise that Belfast continues to be an area with high levels of housing need.
“We would encourage the NI Executive to prioritise social housing development as a means of underpinning local economic recovery. For our part, we will prioritise value for money and seek to make best use of our resources through enhanced digitisation and smarter working practices”.
Rita Murray, discusses life as a Choice tenant in one of their Belfast schemes, “As a tenant l am very happy with Choice Housing and all the services offered to me. l am kept informed about energy savings, financial advice, feedback and everything else, but what l appreciate more is the fact that Choice listen to their tenants.”
A subsidiary of Choice Housing, Maple and May also continues to invest in quality affordable homes in the area. Maple and May established in November 2017 as a subsidiary of Choice Housing Ireland Limited is a professional landlord that provides affordable high-quality homes across NI. Maple and May has invested in 64 quality homes, 59 apartments and 5 houses for private rent, as well as building 19 quality apartments also for private rent.
