2 June 2026
SDLP Opposition Communities Spokesperson Mark H Durkan MLA has called on Minister Gordon Lyons to urgently crack down on social housing fraud.
According to a Northern Ireland Audit Office report on social housing tenancy fraud, fraud and misuse is believed to have cost taxpayers at least £8 million last year but with no accurate baseline in place, the real cost to the public purse may be far greater.
Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan said:
"For a Minister who appears determined to cast himself as the Elliot Ness of benefit fraud, this report raises a serious question of when is he going to turn his attention to tackling housing fraud? We have a record high of 50,000 households on the social housing waiting list. People are trapped in wholly unsuitable housing and overcrowded living conditions, meanwhile the Housing Executive is struggling to get a grip on escalating temporary accommodation costs which currently run into tens of millions of pounds every year.
"This report suggests that up to 4,000 social housing properties here could be subject to some form of tenancy fraud or misuse. But the reality is that nobody knows the true scale of the problem because astonishingly, no evidence-based baseline has ever been established. These figures are ‘guesstimates’ at best and the actual number is likely much higher, as are the costs to the public purse.
"Every property being occupied fraudulently is a property denied to a family in genuine housing need. It increases pressure across homelessness services and drives up spend on crisis management. People are rightly frustrated, yet many people are afraid to make reports. It’s madness that the system of public reporting is being relied on here. The onus must be on the Housing Executive and housing associations to be proactive in identifying fraud. That means more occupancy checks and improved inspection methods.
"At a time when homelessness and housing shortages represent one of the greatest social challenges facing Northern Ireland, the Minister's time would be far better spent tackling housing fraud and getting homes back into the hands of families who desperately need them.”