Renters in NI facing homelessness could get more time to seek help

12:01 AM, 28th September 2026, 8 hours ago

The Northern Ireland government should extend the period in which people at risk of homelessness can access support from 28 days to 60 days, claims politicians.

Under the existing rules, a person is generally considered to be threatened with homelessness if they are likely to become homeless within 28 days.

This means that if a private landlord gives a tenant notice to leave their property, the tenant may have to wait until they are within that 28-day period before qualifying for certain homelessness assistance.

Not sufficient time

During a debate on the Housing (Amendment) Bill in the Northern Ireland Assembly, Sinn Féin politician Ciara Ferguson welcomed proposals to extend the period to 60 days, saying the current system does not give families enough time to find alternative accommodation.

She said: “The principle of the bill is to extend the period in which a person who is at risk of homelessness can access support for the purposes of preventing homelessness. It is a welcome and sensible proposal.”

Ms Ferguson described the difficulties faced by families waiting for help from the Housing Executive, saying: “Most of the families whom I deal with in my office are sitting with all their belongings in boxes on the morning of the final day of their 28 days, waiting for a phone call from the Housing Executive to hear where it may be able to place them.

“The current 28-day period does not provide sufficient time for any meaningful activity and is equally difficult to align with current private tenancy notices.”

Private renters left waiting for support

Ms Ferguson also highlighted the challenges faced by private tenants who receive notice from their landlords.

She said: “I have heard from families whose private landlords have said, “Right, I will give you another month”. An extra month there is no good, in that the Housing Executive will not even consider them until the 28-day rule kicks in, so they are left with us trying to support them as best we can.

“That difference is just ridiculous. That is important in the context of the fact that presentations categorised as being due to the loss of private rented accommodation are on the rise. Earlier intervention is one measure in trying to assist people during one of the most difficult things that a person could ever experience, and it can enable us to avoid crisis responses, insofar as it is possible to do so.”

Bill won’t prevent homelessness

However, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons raised concerns about whether the proposed extension would prevent homelessness without wider reforms.

Mr Lyons said: “I am concerned that the bill would not help prevent homelessness. In fact, it might do the opposite. The bill seeks to amend the definition of “threatened with homelessness”, specifically the length of that period, in isolation and without adequate consideration of either what the legislation states should happen in that period or the operational capacity and system-readiness to cope with the change.

“Unfortunately, that means that, rather than supporting homelessness prevention, the bill would have the adverse and unintended consequence of making the current pressures in the system worse.”

He added: “The bill will increase our spend on homelessness, but that money will be spent on how the statutory duty is currently met. It will be spent on accommodation in hotels and B&Bs, not on preventing homelessness from occurring in the first place. Instead of increasing the support that is available to people, the bill will directly undermine the efforts of the Housing Executive to reduce the use of high-cost, non-standard temporary accommodation.

“It will do that by bringing people into the homelessness system earlier and causing them to remain there for longer. Such a result will only ensure poorer outcomes for the people whom we seek to help. Our focus and resources must go towards prevention and support, not temporary accommodation.”