30 September 2026

SDLP Opposition Communities Spokesperson Mark H Durkan MLA has described the failure of Executive parties to deliver on their Programme for Government commitment to prevent homelessness as a shameful betrayal of the 65,000 people across the North affected by the homelessness crisis.

Responding to a question from Mr Durkan in the Assembly, the Communities Minister confirmed that First Minister Michelle O’Neill has refused to place a paper on the Executive agenda which would have prioritised funding for homelessness prevention.

Mark H Durkan MLA said:

"The Executive’s Programme for Government commits to making homelessness brief, rare and non-recurrent. Yet for tens of thousands of people across Northern Ireland, that could not be further from their lived reality.

"Sinn Féin’s latest attempt to talk tough on housing while blocking action on homelessness at the Executive table exposes the gap between their words and their actions. It is deeply regrettable that Executive parties talk about the urgent need to tackle the housing crisis while preventing practical steps that could stop people becoming homeless in the first place.

"People are being let down by a politics that makes bold promises but fails to deliver. They won’t be taken for fools by the bluff and bluster from Sinn Féin and the DUP when they can see the reality on the ground. Families are struggling to find a suitable home, people are languishing on housing waiting lists, and households are spending far too long in hotels and B&Bs because there is nowhere else for them to go.

"The public don’t need another round of political point-scoring or promises that disappear when the Executive meets. They need homes. They need timely access to health services. They need action on the cost-of-living crisis. Above all, they need an Executive that delivers on the promises it has already made."