Almost 50,000 households on housing waiting list
Date published:
Topics:
Housing
New accredited official statistics published today by NISRA statisticians in the Department for Communities (DfC) present the latest quarterly update on housing in Northern Ireland for October to December 2025.
Key findings
- In October - December 2025, there were 24 new social housing dwelling starts through the Social Housing Development Programme (SHDP) and 359 new social housing dwelling completions.
- At 31 December 2025, just under 50,000 households (49,755) were on the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) waiting list who did not already have a social or housing association tenancy. Of these, 38,620 households were in housing stress and 32,993 had been accepted as having a legal right to be housed (known as full duty applicant status).
- In the three months to 31 December 2025, 2,099 households were accepted as homeless and given full duty applicant status. The most common reason people gave for presenting as homeless was that their current accommodation was not reasonable to live in, reported by 645 households.
- In the three months to September 2025, 334 newly built homes registered with the National House Building Council (NHBC) were sold, at an average price of £283,800.
- Between October and December 2025, the Affordable Warmth Scheme helped improve the energy efficiency of 390 homes. Provisional spending on the scheme for 2025-26 so far stands at just over £6.7 million.
About this publication
The Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin is a quarterly bulletin containing information on Social Housing Development Programme (SHDP) housing starts and completions, social housing demand, homelessness, and new house sales and prices from the National House Building Council (NHBC).
Further information
Read the full report: Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin
View data tables and background information: Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin October - December 2025 | Department for Communities