Acute need for homes

Acute need for homes

10 September 2025

THE scale of the district’s social housing crisis has been laid bare this week.

New figures published by the Housing Executive confirm there are currently 1,965 people on the waiting list for public sector housing across the district, with demand continuing to outstrip supply.

The strategic housing authority has revealed that 1,555 of those on the waiting list are classed in the urgent need category — which is 79% of the overall total.

Across the entire Newry, Mourne and Down area, almost 4,000 people are on the social housing waiting list, with 3,242 in the urgent need category.

Locally, social housing need hotspots include Downpatrick, Newcastle, Castlewellan and Ballynahinch, with the numbers on the waiting list in the Killyleagh, Crossgar and Ardglass areas edging towards 100.

But there was some positive news on the homelessness front, with the latest figures presented to Newry, Mourne and Down Council revealing that the number decreased last year to 1,057, with those accepted as so-called full duty applicants decreasing to 677.

Politicians are concerned at the scale of the huge number of people seeking social housing but are aware of increasing pressure on housing 

officials to meet need.

Housing Executive officials are determined to do what they can and admit the challenges they face are “substantial and deep rooted”.

The organisation’s chief executive, Grainia Long, said there was a widening gap between new housing supply and demand which is illustrated by a growing waiting list for housing and more households requiring temporary accommodation.

She was joined by a number of senior officials during a meeting with local councillors to outline the organisation’s housing investment plan.

Ms Long said the organisation’s budget allocation means it is far from delivering the required targets to meet housing need.

The housing chief said the pressure on future capital spending continues in the current financial year and it will be another year where “the number of new social homes being built, falls short of what is required.”

The Housing Executive says its five-year housing assessment for the district until 2029 shows a need for 2,189 new homes with projected housing need in Newry, Newcastle, Downpatrick and Warrenpoint.

Downpatrick’s projected housing need is 256 homes, with 286 in Newcastle and 115 in Ballynahinch and 120 in Castlewellan, with 67 in Crossgar and almost 50 in Killyleagh.

Drilling down into the latest social housing waiting list figures reveals that in Downpatrick, 512 people are on the social housing waiting list, with 433 in the urgent need category, with 488 people seeking public sector homes in the Newcastle area — 87% of applicants are in urgent need.

Just over 190 people are on the waiting list for social homes in the Ballynahinch area with 155 in the urgent need bracket, while in the Castlewellan area, 174 people are on the waiting list. The number in the urgent need category is 141.

Almost 90 people are on the waiting list in Killyleagh, with 66 in urgent need, with the figures for Crossgar, which includes Annacloy, 86 and 76 respectively.

In Ardglass, 79 are seeking social housing in the village, with 59 classed in the urgent need category.

In Saintfield, 68 people are seeking public sector housing with 59 in urgent need, while 37 people are on the waiting list for a home in Killough, with 29 in urgent need.

The waiting list figures for the Dundrum, Seaforde and Clough area are 66 and 49 respectively, while in Strangford and Kilclief, the respective figures are 32 and 27.

Twenty six people are seeking social housing in Drumaness, with 18 in the urgent need category.

Elsewhere, six people are on the waiting list in Annsborough, all of whom are in the urgent need category, with 11 seeking public sector housing in Ballykinler and Tyrella, with just over 50% in urgent need.

Six people are seeking social housing accommodation in Shrigley, with two thirds in urgent need, while 11 are on the waiting list in Kilcoo with eight in urgent need.

Four are on the waiting list in the Kilmore, Loughinisland and Annadorn area with one on the list for Burrenbridge and Spa.