The Housing Executive

We continue to assist urban and rural regeneration throughout Northern Ireland, making significant economic, community and social improvements with an investment of £28m during the year.

Under the Urban Renewal Programme newbuild or rehabilitation schemes were undertaken in eight areas in Belfast, with construction of the first phase of new homes in the Lawnbrook 2 Urban Renewal Area by Fold Housing Association commencing towards the end of the financial year.

We have also continued to support the DSD’s Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy. In addition to our representation on all of the Neighbourhood Partnerships driving the Strategy locally, we implemented several schemes in some of the Neighbourhood Renewal Areas, and administered the Small Pockets of Deprivation programme on behalf of DSD, delivering neighbourhood renewal funding to seventeen areas across Northern Ireland.

In rural areas, most of our regeneration activity has traditionally been through mainstream improvement and grant programmes, but in 2011/12 we introduced a rural regeneration fund through which we intend to support local schemes contributing to the ‘Village Renewal’ strand of DARD’s Rural Development Programme where these will have beneficial housing or community outcomes.