Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has said he will ask the Executive to release public land for social housing “very shortly”, as Northern Ireland looks set to fall well short of its annual building targets.

Speaking this week, Lyons acknowledged that his department is unlikely to meet its goal of delivering 2,000 social homes this financial year. Figures from the Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations (NIFHA) show that only around 41 homes have been started to date, with projections suggesting around 1,200 completions, which would be around 60% of the intended target.

The minister said limited capital funding remains the key obstacle to delivery, but he is exploring alternative measures to accelerate construction.

“We need the subsidy to build more social homes, and if we can’t get that in the form of a cash subsidy from my Executive colleagues, I’m going to be asking them ‘can you give me land’?” said Lyons.

“That will help to reduce the cost of social housing and I’m looking at that now with a view to bringing that proposal to the Executive very shortly. I’m going to leave no stone unturned in trying to solve this issue.”

While the proposal to release land could offer a short-term boost, sector leaders say longer-term financial certainty is urgently needed. The absence of a multi-year budget continues to hamper housing associations’ ability to plan and invest with confidence.

NIFHA chief executive Seamus Leheny said:

“You can’t plan, you can’t go out and speculate to buy the land to put through the planning applications, because if I go and buy land today, but I don’t get the funding to develop it for a couple of years, I’m paying back loan and interest on land I can’t utilize yet.”

Stormont ministers have repeatedly pledged to introduce a multi-year budget, and the Department of Finance is expected to bring forward proposals in the coming weeks which could include a four-year capital allocation, a move widely seen as vital for housing delivery.