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> Home > Working With Us > Partners > Consultations

Consultations

In this section

A consultation is a procedure which enables the public and relevant organisations to help to develop housing strategies and solve problems. 

The idea is to involve everyone who is affected by the issue and who wants to help find the best solution. Sometimes a consultation will not address a specific problem, but will simply want feedback and opinions on a topic.

Current consultations


Consolidation of NIHE Office Accommodation in Derry/Londonderry City Centre

Closing date: 9 June 2025

This consultation relates to Housing Executive office accommodation in Derry/Londonderry and is set to run until 9th June 2025. 

Details on how to respond are contained within the consultation document. 

Please note that this document is available on request in Alternative Formats including but not limited to Large Print, Audio Formats, Braille and other languages by contacting: 

email: tony.steed@nihe.gov.uk

Download the consultation document (1.4 MB)


Previous consultations


Consultation on our Draft Social Investment Strategy 2025-2030

Closing date: 16 May 2025 

The consultation will run for 12 weeks, from 21 February 2025 up to 16 May 2025 and we want to hear from you.

With a clear focus on social enterprise, our draft strategy has been carefully created. 

Our strategic view of People, Place & Prosperity sets out how we envisage to deliver this in partnership with all our stakeholders.

Our strategic priorities are:

Community wealth building 

This strategy will seek to utilise a variety of resources to support Community Wealth Building to achieve sustainable outcomes within our communities. 

It will focus on a number of key themes; Plural ownership, locally rooted finance, Fair employment, socially productive use of land and property and finally Progressive commissions, sourcing and procurement for goods and services. 

Social Value 

Our ambition is to ensure that the communities we represent are prepared and ready to avail of social value opportunities. 

We want to raise awareness and capacity in communities to avail of opportunities available as a result of wider Government spend and also that of the Housing Executive’s annual spend and the social benefits that accompany that.

Employability & Apprenticeships 

We want to continue to invest in social enterprises where they require assistance for increased / new employability, training, reskilling and volunteering opportunities. 

We also want to maximise other learning and skills development opportunities by engaging with academic and accrediting bodies and inter-agency partnerships, gathering knowledge, information, and contacts for the benefit of individuals and our communities.

We want to listen to your views and give you the chance to help shape our strategy and services. 

Why your views matter

The Housing Executive welcomes any comments you wish to make on all of the proposals or just on those issues that are of particular interest to you in the consultation.

You can access the draft strategy and online consultation survey below.

Draft Social Investment Strategy 2025-2030 (PDF 692 kB)
Online consultation survey

Freedom of Information Act 2000

The Housing Executive will publish a summary of responses following completion of the consultation process.

Your response, and all other responses to the consultation, may be disclosed on request. The Housing Executive can only refuse to disclose information in exceptional circumstances.

Before you submit your response, please read the paragraphs below on the confidentiality of consultations and they will give you guidance on the legal position about any information given by you in response to this consultation.

The Freedom of Information Act gives the public the public a right of access to any information held by a public authority, namely the Housing Executive in this case.

This right of access to information includes information provided in response to a consultation.

However, it does have the responsibility to decide whether any information provided by you in response to this consultation, including information about your identity should be made public or treated as confidential, although this will also be guided by Data Protection legislation.

The means that information provided by you in response to the consultation is unlikely to be treated as confidential, except in very particular circumstances.

The Lord Chancellor’s Code of Practice on the Freedom of Information Act provides that:

  • The Housing Executive should only accept information from third parties in confidence if it is necessary to obtain that information in connection with the exercise of any of the Housing Executive’s functions and it would not otherwise be provided.
  • The Housing Executive should not agree to hold information received from third parties ‘in confidence’ which is not confidential in nature.
  • Acceptance by the Housing Executive of confidentiality provisions must be for good reasons, capable of being justified to the Information Commissioner.

For further information about confidentiality of responses please contact the:
Information Commissioner’s Office

Consultation on our Draft Corporate Strategy 2025/26 – 2027/28

Closing date: 28 February 2025

The consultation will run for 10 weeks from 19 December 2024 to 28 February 2025 and we want to hear from you. 
 
Our draft Strategy outlines our priorities and aspirations over the three years covered by the strategy across 5 high level objectives. These are:
 
1. Ensuring the right homes are built in the right places

2. Aligning our economic and environmental impact

3. Regenerating and investing in communities

4. Reducing housing-led health inequalities

5. Drawing on the talent of our skilled housing professionals

This consultation offers the opportunity to provide feedback on the strategic direction the organisation has set out in the document.

The draft Strategy and further information on how to respond to the draft Strategy can be downloaded from the links below.

Draft Corporate Strategy 2025/26 - 2027/28 (PDF 615kB)
Consultation Letter and Questions (Word Docx 32kB)

A summary of responses will be published on completion of the consultation process, in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 Confidentiality of Consultations (nihe.gov.uk)

If you have any queries at all please contact business.performance@nihe.gov.uk


Consultation on our Draft Community Safety Strategy 2025-2030

Closing date: 30th September 2024

The consultation will run for 12 weeks, from 8th July, 2024 up to 30th September, 2024  and we want to hear from you.

Our draft strategy has been carefully created. Our strategic view of Building Safer Communities Together, adopts a comprehensive, multifaceted approach to addressing anti-social behaviour through engaging with residents, fostering collaborative partnerships and utilising evidence-based interventions. The Housing Executive is committed to fostering a culture of mutual respect, responsibility, and pride within its social housing communities.

Our strategic priorities are:

Building community confidence - The Housing Executive will work to build community confidence in the ability of the organisation to tackle ASB effectively. 

Ensuring local solutions - The Housing Executive will ensure that all our efforts to tackle ASB are relevant to the needs of local communities. 

Working together- The Housing Executive will work closely with other agencies to improve community safety in our estates.

We want to listen to your views and give you the chance to help shape our strategy and services. 

You can access the draft strategy and online consultation survey from the links below.

Online consultation survey

A summary of responses will be published on completion of the consultation process, in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 Confidentiality of Consultations (nihe.gov.uk)

If you have any queries on any aspect of the consultation, please contact:
team.communitysafety@nihe.gov.uk

Consultation on our Draft Community Involvement and Cohesion Strategy 2024 -2029

Closing date: 5th July, 2024

The public consultation on our draft Community Involvement and Cohesion Strategy 2024 – 2029 is now open.

The consultation will run for 12 weeks up to 5th July, 2024 and we want to hear from you.

Our draft strategy sets out how we will continue to support and work with our communities to deliver services that are co-designed to create stronger, vibrant and inclusive communities.

Our strategic priorities are to enable our communities to promote and strengthen involvement; engage our communities to influence, shape and improve our services and encourage them to embrace community cohesion within and between our communities. 

We want to listen to your views and give you the chance to help shape our strategy and services.

You can access the draft strategy and online consultation survey from the links below.

Draft Community Involvement and Cohesion Strategy 2024 -2029 (PDF 1.4 MB)
Online consultation survey

We will also hold a number of public engagement events across Northern Ireland from Tuesday, 14 May to Monday, 3 June.

These events are open to all members of the public, community groups, partners and stakeholders.

Technical support will be available on the day to enable people to complete our online consultation survey.

Events will take place between 10.30am and 12.30pm on the following dates at the specified venue:

Tuesday, 14 May – Fuse FM, Ballymoney

Wednesday, 15 May – St Comgall’s, Divis Street, Belfast

Tuesday, 21 May – GK House, Omagh

Wednesday, 22 May – Ranfurly House, Dungannon

Monday, 3 June – Waterside Shared Village, Derry/Londonderry

To register to attend any of the events please:

Consultation on our Draft Corporate Plan 2022/23 – 2024/25 and 2022/23 One Year Business Plan

Closing date: Wednesday 14 December 2022.

On Wednesday 24 March 2022 the Board of the Housing Executive approved the Draft Corporate Plan 2022/23 – 2024/25.

We will now undertake a 12 week external consultation exercise, to seek feedback on the strategic direction the organisation has set out in the document.

The draft plan and further information on how to respond to the draft plan can be downloaded from the links below.

Consultation on our Supporting People Three Year Draft Strategic Plan and COVID-19 Recovery Plan 2022-2025

Closing date: Monday 25th April 2022

On 24th January 2022 the Department for Communities Minister, Deirdre Hargey MLA approved the Supporting People draft Strategy 2022-25.

We will now undertake a 12 week public consultation exercise, to seek feedback on the strategic direction for the Supporting People programme as set out in the draft strategic plan.

For more detail or an informal discussion on the plan, or if you would like request any of the documentation in an alternative format, please contact the Supporting People Policy, Strategy and Communications Team at:

You can download the following files.

Consultation on our 'Ending Homelessness Together' Draft Homelessness Strategy 2022-27

Closing date: Tuesday 25th January 2022

On Wednesday 27th October 2021 the Board of the Housing Executive approved the draft Homelessness Strategy 2022-27. 

We will now undertake a 12 week external consultation exercise, to seek feedback on the strategic direction the organisation has set out in the document.

For more details on 'Ending Homelessness Together' Draft Homelessness Strategy 2022-27 please contact Richard Tanswell at:
email: richard.tanswell@nihe.gov.uk or
tel.: 028 9598 2327

A number of online public consultation events will be publicised on the Housing Executive’s social media channels over the course of the public consultation period.

For further details please contact:

email: homelessness.strategy@nihe.gov.uk

You can now download the following files.

Consultation Events

If you would like to attend any of the online consultation events, scheduled for the dates listed below, please complete the attached booking form and return to:

email: homelessness.strategy@nihe.gov.uk

 

  • Fri 19th November 2021 at 1:30pm
  • Thu 25th November 2021 at 10:00am
  • Mon 29th November 2021 at 10:00am
  • Mon 13th December 2021 at 2:00pm 
  • Mon 12th January 2022 at 10:00am 
Consultation event booking form (PDF 400kb)

Consultation on our 'Homeless to Home’ Draft Strategic Action Plan for Temporary Accommodation 

Closing date: Tuesday 25th January 2022

On Wednesday 27th October 2021 the Board of the Housing Executive approved the draft Strategic Action Plan for Temporary Accommodation.

We will now undertake a 12 week external consultation exercise, to seek feedback on the strategic direction the organisation has set out in the document

For more details on ‘Homeless to Home' Draft Strategic Action Plan for Temporary Accommodation please contact Anthony Lavery at:
email: anthony.lavery@nihe.gov.uk or
Tel.: 028 9598 4075

A number of online public consultation events will be publicised on the Housing Executive’s social media channels over the course of the public consultation period.

For further details please contact

email: homelessness.strategy@nihe.gov.uk 

You can now download the following files:

Consultation Events

If you would like to attend any of the online consultation events, scheduled for the dates listed below, please complete the attached booking form and return to:

email: homelessness.strategy@nihe.gov.uk

 

  • Fri 26th November 2021 at 2:00pm 
  • Wed 1st December 2021 at 10:00am 
  • Wed 15th December 2021 at 2:00pm
  • Mon 12th January 2022 at 10:00am
Consultation event booking form (PDF 400kb)

Consultation on our 'Reaching Rural' Draft Rural Strategy 2021-2025

Closing date: Thursday 30th September

We are consulting on 'Reaching Rural' our draft 2021-25 Rural Strategy & Action Plan. It sets out our plans to contribute to the sustainable and inclusive growth of our rural communities dispersed across Northern Ireland over the next four years.

For more details on the 'Reaching Rural' Draft Rural Strategy 2021-2025 contact Sinead Collins at:
email: sinead.collins@nihe.gov.uk or
Tel.: 03448 920 900

You can now download the following files:

When completed, please send the consultation response form to:

Or alternatively, return by post to:

The Rural & Regeneration Unit
Housing Executive
The Housing Centre
2 Adelaide Street
Belfast BT2 8PB

Consultation on our draft Irish Travellers Accommodation Strategy 2020-25

New closing date - 18th November 2020.

On Wednesday 27th June 2020 the Board of the Housing Executive approved the draft Irish Travellers Accommodation Strategy 2020-25 for consultation. The 12 week external consultation exercise to allow feedback on the strategic direction the organisation has set out in the document - which can be downloaded below has completed.

However, as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic and in recognition of recent feedback, we have taken the decision to extend the public consultation period for the NIHE draft Irish Traveller Accommodation Strategy 2020-25 by 8 weeks.  We hope this gives consultees sufficient opportunity to take part in the consultation.

We would also like to advise consultees that responses which do not use the feedback form will be accepted and considered as your official response.

Irish Travellers Accommodation Strategy 2020-25 (PDF 3.7 MB)

For further details on the draft Irish Travellers Accommodation Strategy 2020-25 please contact David Glasgow (david.glasgow@nihe.gov.uk)

If you would like to provide a response to the strategy please email your completed online consultation response to david.glasgow@nihe.gov.uk or submit your response in writing to:

David Glasgow, Traveller Strategy Officer
NI Housing Executive
Land & Housing Analytics, 2nd Floor 
2 Adelaide Street, Belfast 
BT2 8PB

Consultation closes at 5pm on 18th November 2020..

Additional supporting documents - the consultee letter, consultation response form and the consultation confidentiality requirements laid down by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 - are available for download below.

Supporting Documents

Consultation on our draft Older People’s Housing Strategy 2020/21 – 2025/26

The consultation period on our draft Older People’s Housing Strategy 2020/21 – 2025/26 has now been extended by two weeks to Friday 9th October 2020.

On Wednesday 26th February 2020 the Board of the Housing Executive approved the draft Older People’s Housing Strategy 2020/21 – 2025/26 for consultation.

We will now undertake a 12 week external consultation exercise to allow feedback on the strategic direction the organisation has set out in the document - which can be downloaded from the link below.

Older People's Housing Strategy Consultation

For further details on the draft Older People’s Housing Strategy 2020/21 – 2025/26 please contact John Goudy (john.goudy@nihe.gov.uk or 028 959 82498).

If you would like to provide a response to the strategy please email this to business.performance@nihe.gov.uk 

Consultation closes at 5pm on Friday 9th October 2020.

Additional supporting documents - the Consultee Letter and the consultation confidentiality requirements laid down by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 - are available for download below.

Supporting Documents

Consultation on our draft Customer Support and Tenancy Sustainment Strategy

Closing date: Friday 21st February 2020

On Wednesday 30th October the Board of the Housing Executive approved the draft ‘ Customer Support and Tenancy Sustainment Strategy’. We will now undertake a 6 week external consultation exercise to allow feedback on the strategic direction the organisation has set out in the document - which can be downloaded from the link below.

For further details on the Customer Support and Tenancy Sustainment Strategy Consultation, or to provide response, please email HousingInfo@nihe.gov.uk or call Rosanna McSorley on 028 9598 3016. Consultation closes at 5pm on Friday 21st February. 

Draft Chronic Homelessness Action Plan Consultation

Closing date: Friday 9th August 2019

On Wednesday 27th February 2019 the Board of the Housing Executive approved the draft Chronic Homelessness Action Plan. We will now undertake a 12 week external consultation exercise, to seek feedback on the strategic direction the organisation has set out in the document.

For further details on the Chronic Homelessness Action Plan Consultation, which closes at 5pm on Friday 9th August, and how you can respond, click the more information button below.

If you have any queries on any aspect of the consultation please do not hesitate to contact Helen Hicks on 02895 983 170 or Richard Tanswell on 02895 982 327.

More information

 

We advise of any new consultations through our Twitter account or Facebook page so you may want to follow them.

Codes of practice on government consultation

The code of practice applies to all UK public consultations by government departments and agencies, including consultations on EU directives.

Though the code does not have legal force, and cannot prevail over statutory or other mandatory external requirements (e.g. under European Community Law), it should otherwise generally be regarded as binding unless Ministers conclude that exceptional circumstances require a departure.

The code contains six criteria. They should be reproduced in all consultation documents. There should be an explanation of any departure from the criteria and confirmation that they have otherwise been followed.

We adhere to the Code of Practice in all our consultations.

The procedure

When consultation is needed a consultation document is created by the appropriate department. This outlines the topics for discussion and invites views from individuals and groups. Some consultations are aimed at councils or other government bodies. Non-governmental organisations such as charities or community groups may also be asked to take part. The public are always free to contribute to consultations.

Consultations usually last around 3 months, though in some cases they can be open for as little as 6-8 weeks. Consultation periods are generally longer where councils are involved, in order to allow time for the consultation to be added to the relevant agenda.

Once the consultation has been completed, the information is used to create a policy document.

If we feel that a consultation is particularly important to householders we will write to you about it, for example if it deals with your neighbourhood. Some consultations are aimed more at organisations, dealing with topics like homelessness or rural housing. However, we welcome all input.

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Housing Executive responses to consultations