The future of housing is mixed

Very few would disagree that to solve our housing crisis we need to build more homes. But building more homes is not enough. We need to build the right homes, in the right places and they need to provide security, safety and affordability for those that live in them. These homes will become part of the fabric of our communities for generations, sitting alongside schools, shops, parks and public transport. To get this right, we must focus not just on housing, but on building successful, inclusive communities.

That’s why the new planning policies currently being rolled out across our eleven councils are so important. They set out how residential developments should work in each area, introducing policies on design, housing mix and sustainability. Most significantly the policies will require residential developments over a certain size to provide for affordable housing if they want to obtain planning approval – at a proportion of typically 20% of the size of the development.

This has the potential to be a game-changer. It will enable affordable homes to be built in areas where they wouldn’t normally be delivered. It also encourages mixed tenure housing where different types of homes, including private, social and affordable options, like shared ownership through Co-Ownership, are built side by side.

Mixed tenure simply means combining different types of housing within the same development. This will create communities that bring together people from different income levels and backgrounds in the same neighbourhood.  By their nature, these communities will be inclusive and will accommodate social housing tenants who will not be stigmatised because of the area they live in.

This is a new approach in Northern Ireland, and it has taken us a while to get here. We started the process of developing new policies when planning responsibilities were transferred to the newly formed eleven councils in 2015.  We now have six councils with new planning policies relating to housing and another two will follow later this year. As momentum gathers, we are beginning to see the impact on the ground.

At Co-Ownership, we’re proud to be part of this change. Homes purchased through Co-Ownership count as affordable housing, and thanks to these new planning policies, there are already six developments throughout Northern Ireland with a number of homes only available to Co-Ownership customers. This is opening up new opportunities for people who might otherwise be priced out of the new-build market.

As this is new ground for everyone involved, there remains challenges to navigate. There continues to be some confusion about what affordable housing actually means.  In practice, it includes social housing provided by housing associations, shared ownership homes provided through Co-Ownership and intermediate rent homes, where rents are typically set at 80% of market rates. Ideally in new developments you would want to see a mix of all of these tenures.

Whilst it has huge potential, this isn’t an easy journey. Mixed tenure is a new way of working for private developers, housing associations and the various government agencies involved. There is still a need for greater clarity around the policies and the roles of each organisation in delivering them. However, there’s also a shared desire to make this work, because when it does, it will create more affordable homes and stronger, more connected and inclusive communities.

At Co-Ownership, we’re committed to supporting this vision. We’ll continue to work with private house builders, housing associations, councils and government departments to champion shared ownership as part of Northern Ireland’s affordable housing solution. Ultimately, it’s our customers who will benefit from a wider range of high-quality affordable homes in thriving communities.