Antrim and Newtownabbey: 'Challenges within the housing sector remain significant' as council told of £34m investment
Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council was told of “deep-rooted pressures in the housing sector” during a presentation by Housing Executive officials at Mossley Mill on Monday (October 26).
Presenting the Housing Investment Plan 2026-2028, Caroline Connor, interim director of Strategic Housing Authority, said: “Challenges within the housing sector remain significant, especially with regards to improving existing homes, meeting the demand for new homes and for temporary accommodation.
“Any addition to housing stock is a benefit and we continue to make for case for funding to meet the need and work with Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and the housing sector to identify opportunities for more development in the years ahead.”
The council was told the Housing Executive has invested £33.83m in Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough during 2025/26.
There were 325 new housing association units under construction in the borough in March. Of these, 176 commenced on-site during 2025/26with a further 582 planned to start in the next three years. The total investment in new-build social housing starts delivered during the last financial year was £42m.
There were 3,590 applicants on the social housing waiting list in Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough. Of these, 2,854 applicants were in housing stress on March 31 with single and small family households comprising 71% of the housing stress waiting list locally.
A total of 447 homes were allocated to waiting list applicants in the borough during 2025/26. Housing associations delivered 186 allocations, with 261 by the Housing Executive.
The report noted 1,137 people presented as homeless during 2025/26, 864 of whom were accepted for support through a ring-fenced budget for 2025/26 and 2026/27.
“We know this is more important than ever when we continue to face deep rooted challenges in the housing sector,” Caroline said.
The sum of £3.9m was spent on temporary accommodation with 494 placements made within the council area, The Housing Executive is expecting the cost for temporary accommodation to increase to approximately £4.3m during 2026/27.
The Housing Executive says the projected five-year social housing need in the borough for the period 2025-2030 is 1,622 homes, including 1,553 in urban areas and 69 in rural areas. A total of 392 are needed in Antrim Town and 855 in Urban Newtownabbey.
In other areas of the borough, the Housing Executive has estimated the social housing new-build requirement until 2030 to be: Whiteabbey, 90; Ballyclare, 97; Ballynure, five; Crumlin, 126; Doagh, 11; Parkgate/Templepatrick, 34; Randalstown, 83; Toomebridge, 19.
The Housing Executive manages a stock of 6,165 homes in Antrim and Newtownabbey. Twenty Housing Executive properties were sold to sitting tenants during 2025/26.
In Newtownabbey Urban area, there are 221 Housing Executive properties in Ballyduff; Bleachgreen, 33; Central Glengormley, 200; Hightown, 11; Longlands/Bawnmore, 121; Mallusk, 28; Monkstown, 475; Mossley, 506; Rathcoole, 1,401; Rathfern, 111; Rushpark, 132; Whiteabbey, 176.
Antrim Town, 1775; Ballyclare, 480; Ballynure, 14; Crumlin, 99; Doagh, 78; Parkgate/Templepatrick, 33; Randalstown, 176; Toomebridge, 95.
Meanwhile, the sum of £10.85m was spent by the Housing Executive on planned maintenance and stock improvement in Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough and £11.38m on response maintenance during the last financial year with £1.16m on adaptations for tenants with a disability and £1.68m on grounds maintenance.
The sum of £620k was spent on the Affordable Warmth scheme for 133 private sector homes.
Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter