North coast of NI property boom 'pushes locals away'

A politician on the north coast says she has been contacted daily by people struggling to find an affordable local home.

Independent assembly member (MLA) Claire Sugden said families had to move away because of housing problems.

She said the issue, which has been happening for months, was becoming a crisis.

Ms Sugden said it was partly because of "a boom in people buying second homes" during the pandemic.

"Constituents whose families have been raised in places like Portstewart and Portrush have been trying to get a house because their landlord has decided to put the house up for sale," she said.

"Rising house prices are encouraging more landlords to sell which means there's even less housing for local people."

Mark Macauley, who is terminally ill with cancer and Parkinson's disease, said he struggled for months to find a new place to live on the north coast.

He said his family was informed by their landlady during the summer that they had to move from the home they had been living in for eight years.

They were turned down from three private rentals before moving into new accommodation last week.

They also said they were told by the Housing Executive that they did not have enough points to be prioritised for social housing.

Mr Macauley said: "Basically you have to be a dying man to get something. I'm a dying man and I put my case forward but I didn't get anything.

"It just has added to all the anxiety that we've been going through.

"My main priority is to get a roof over the head for the wife and kids. To get them a more secure future."

Mr Macauley's wife Jeanette said he was going through chemotherapy while they were trying to find a house.

"It's been awful" she said.

"There are so many people on lists. And with ourselves not working, because of Mark's situation, a landlord would prefer somebody in employment so that went against us. We kept getting turned down house after house.

Mrs Macauley said "everything is so expensive and beyond what we could afford to pay" but that they were being supported in their new home by friends and family.

A spokesperson for the Housing Executive said they were aware of Mr Macauley's deteriorating health and sympathised with him and his family.

"The family have sourced their own private rented accommodation, and moved in last week," the spokesperson said.

"They remain on the waiting list to be rehoused.

"Mr Macauley and his family wish to be rehoused in Portstewart or Ballymoney, however these are high demand areas where we have a very limited supply of social homes available.

"We have spoken at length with the family and provided all the financial help available to sustain their new tenancy. Local staff will continue to help them as much as possible."

House prices in the Causeway Coast and Glens area rose by 17% in the past year, according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra).

Coleraine based estate agent Daniel Henry said it was "a major problem".

"There probably has been a lot of situations where local people have been priced out of their local area," he said.

Mr Henry said he had noticed more people from outside the area showing interest in buying property on the north coast since the beginning of the pandemic.

"There's a very limited supply available and in the areas where there are properties for sale, particularly on the coast, there's a lot of interest and for that reason they have made premiums."

A Department for Communities spokesperson said that Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey was "acutely aware" of the pressure the sector was under.

"That is why she has begun an ambitious and radical shake up of housing, the largest transformation of our housing system in over 50 years to deliver more homes where they are needed most.

"The minister has also increased investment in social housing, has directed £145m to co-ownership to support the delivery of more affordable housing over the next four years, along with giving consideration to new affordable housing options, and is taking legislation through the assembly to increase protections to tenants in the private rented sector, including extending the notice to quit period."