Northern Ireland’s acute housing crisis shows no sign of abating, according to a new report from Construction Information Services (CIS), a leading provider of verified, real-time construction intelligence. Covering data up to Q3 2024, the report highlights significant challenges in the region’s residential sector, including a concerning drop in housing completions and ongoing infrastructure bottlenecks.
2024 has seen slower progress compared to previous years. In the first three quarters of the year, a total of 2,778 housing completions were recorded, well below historical levels. This marks a continuing decline from the 5,373 in 2023, exacerbating the growing housing demand.
Total completions in 2024 are projected to fall significantly short of 2023 levels, marking the fifth consecutive year of declining residential completions.
The data reveals a significant imbalance between private and social housing completions across Northern Ireland, which could have significant implications for meeting the diverse housing needs across the nation. The CIS report underscores a persistent gap between private and social housing completions. In Q3 2024, 5,509 private units were completed, compared to just 501 social units. This gap highlights the limited availability of affordable housing for lower-income groups.
The report also highlights a disparity between apartment and housing completions. Although apartment completions have generally grown year-on-year, albeit with some fluctuations, they remain significantly lower when compared to other housing completions. The apartment sector experienced a decline in 2023; however, the first half of 2024 has shown positive signs of recovery and if this trend continues, apartment completions are set to surpass 2023 levels.
As urban areas continue to experience rising demand for high-density housing, the lag in apartment completions risks exacerbating housing shortages in these areas. Addressing these disparities is essential to ensure a balanced housing supply that meets the diverse needs of both urban and rural populations.
The CIS report highlights key players in Northern Ireland’s housing market, including Kelly Brothers Building Contractors, Hagan Homes, Hilmark Homes, Lotus Group, and Windsor Developments. Despite the significant contributions from these key developers the region continues to struggle with housing supply due to water infrastructure constraints. This ongoing issue is limiting the overall capacity to meet the growing housing demand across Northern Ireland, highlighting a critical barrier to residential development progress.
The Republic of Ireland has managed to maintain momentum in delivering housing, despite falling short of targets, thanks in part to government incentives such as fee waivers and water rebates for developers.
