Forum for Better Homes NI Chair Calls for Certainty on Programme for Government Commitments

Forum for Better Homes NI Chair Calls for Certainty on Programme for Government Commitments

The Forum for Better Homes NI held an event in Stormont earlier this week to bring together policymakers and experts from across the housing sector to discuss how we decarbonise our existing homes in Northern Ireland.

The draft Programme for Government includes a commitment to “deliver an ambitious programme decarbonising all housing stock in NI”, which “includes reducing carbon emissions in existing and new homes”.  This includes facilitating the retrofitting of existing housing stock through sustainable funding and partnership models to help meet the net zero 2050 target”. The proposed domestic retrofit programme has several aims:

• • addressing fuel poverty to help our communities
  • decarbonising our homes
  • reducing emissions from the residential sector
  • supporting green jobs for economic growth.

There is also a reference to the Executive’s efforts to seek “Treasury agreement for appropriate treatment of borrowing to enable the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) to increase investment in its homes, improve energy efficiency, and contribute to new supply”.

Speaking at the event, David Little Chair of the Forum said:

“We welcome the focus on homes in the recently published draft Programme for Government. The commitment to deliver an ambitious programme decarbonising all housing stock in NI is crucial. But the housing sector needs certainty on how this is going to happen. There must be more detail set out in the finalised programme about how this will be achieved.

“The Forum for Better Homes NI will be responding to the consultation on the draft Programme for Government to set out our thoughts on how the NI Executive can provide certainty for the housing industry.”

Jenny Burnside, Northern Ireland Ambassador for Lloyds Banking Group and Forum member stated: “At Lloyds Banking Group, we’re committed to working with government and partners to help our customers make their homes more energy efficient. Since 2022, we’ve provided £9.1bn of green mortgages across the UK. We’re delighted to work with the Forum and the Executive to help deliver sustainable homes across Northern Ireland.”

ENDS.

Notes to editors

1. About the Forum for Better Homes NI

The Forum for Better Homes NI (formerly known as Forum for Better Housing Market NI) was established in June 2018 to consider the issues facing the housing market in Northern Ireland and to provide guidance on priorities and objectives.  Supported by Lloyds Banking Group, it is chaired by David Little and led by a steering group of industry leaders, representing all sectors – including housebuilding and construction, planning, architecture, surveying, training and skills and finance.

2. About Lloyds Banking Group

Lloyds Banking Group is the UK’s largest digital banking provider with over 22 million regular digital users and 19.5 million mobile banking users.

Lloyds Banking Group is the largest mortgage lender to both first-time buyers and buy-to-let landlords in the UK.

Lloyds Banking Group employ more than 1,500 people at their Gasworks site in Belfast and Halifax branches across Northern Ireland.

3. The event

The purpose of the event was to bring together policymakers and experts from across the housing sector to discuss how we decarbonise our existing homes in Northern Ireland  And over a year from the publication of the Forum’s ‘New Foundations: Route to Low Carbon Homes’ report, the Forum specifically considered key recommendations to the Executive in the report:

• Develop a single policy vision for achieving net zero energy homes with a particular focus on those homes whose occupants are most vulnerable to fuel poverty
• Prioritise investment in retrofitting social homes by creating a Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund

• Do more to promote career opportunities, enhance knowledge and upskill our workforce to meet our housing decarbonisation targets .

The event took place on Tuesday 17 September in Parliament Buildings Stormont. The audience comprised around 70 decision makers and influencers – MLAs, senior civil servants, housebuilders and developers, and other leaders from across the housing sector.

4. Attached photo includes from left: David Honeyford MLA, Colin Crawford MLA, Alan Ritchie former Chair RSUA Climate Emergency Committee, Philip Brett MLA, David Little Chair Forum for Better Homes NI, Gavin McGuire NI Director Federation of Master Builders, Jenny Burnside Northern Ireland Ambassador Lloyds Banking Group, Carol McTaggart Group CEO Clanmil Homes

For any media queries please contact Ben Collins 07977501960 or ben@chambrepa.com