The Housing Executive

The Housing Executive is responsible for the provision and management of accommodation for the Traveller Community and thereby is responsible for establishing the accommodation needs of the Traveller Community across Northern Ireland.

Comprehensive Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessments: To establish the accommodation needs (for social housing, Traveller specific Group Housing, serviced sites and transit sites) of the Traveller Community across Northern Ireland, NIHE commissioned Comprehensive Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessments in 2002 and 2008. Plans are being progressed for the third Comprehensive Needs Assessment which will be undertaken in 2012-13.

Traveller Accommodation Programme: The needs assessment informs the development of the Traveller Accommodation Programme. Currently the accommodation programme is reviewed on a yearly basis in conjunction with all interested stakeholders, to reflect the changing needs and aspirations of the Traveller Community. A new Traveller Accommodation Programme will be developed following analysis of the findings from the forthcoming Comprehensive Needs Assessment.

Land identification process: In terms of future accommodation provision, the NIHE has completed a comprehensive review of all NIHE land and non-NIHE land in areas of identified accommodation need. This includes extensive advertising in the local press in all the areas where accommodation need has been identified, for expressions of interest in selling private lands for Traveller accommodation.

A key component of the land identification process for temporary accommodation requirements, are the numbers of reported unauthorised encampments. Based on these we continue to pursue suitable lands for temporary/transit sites for Traveller families in Newry, Belfast and Craigavon.