Introduction

Last Updated on Tuesday, 03 January 2012 14:25 Written by Administrator Monday, 22 September 2008 17:20

Shelter Northern Ireland was founded in 1980 and is a charity whose aim is to organise to secure rights to housing for all households in Northern Ireland.
We do this by:
1. Campaigning for the right of households to access decent good quality affordable housing with secure tenure in Northern Ireland
2. Educating, advising and informing individuals, groups and the general public about housing issues
3. Analysing existing housing and related problems and seeking innovative approaches and solutions
4. Working in collaboration with others for those disadvantaged in their housing rights by any government policy or practice in particular rough sleepers and migrant workers
5. Enabling long-term solutions for people who are homeless
6. For older and disabled people we offer a home repair service in the north west known as GABLE
7. In Omagh we offer a supported housing service for young people under the name of SL-eight

Shelter NI is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.

Shelter (Campaign for the Homeless) Northern Ireland Ltd. is a Company Limited by Guarantee and Not Having a Share Capital.

Registered Office:
58 Howard Street
Belfast BT1 6PJ
Company Registration Number: 14542

Shelter NI is also a charity. Charity No. XN46537

Homelessness then and now!

Shelter NI was constituted before the Housing Executive gained statutory responsibility for Homelessness and played its part in campaigning for that legislation to be enacted.
That was 20 years ago. Since then, the number of households without access to good quality affordable housing has increased dramatically particularly in the last decade. Much of this has been as a result of global investors forcing up house prices leading to difficulties for people wishing to purchase housing at an affordable price or to rent in the private sector. Coupled with insufficient public investment in social housing, more households than ever have no access to affordable housing. Some individuals such as migrant people who are ineligible for state support are more affected than others and there are people still sleeping rough.
The housing and homeless problems encountered 20 years ago are different from today’s problems. The nature of the issues has become more complex requiring a greater range of cooperation between agencies.
Shelter NI is lobbying for public investment to build 5000 social houses per year and for government to intervene to make housing for sale or rent affordable to households on low incomes.
As well as the services that Shelter NI already provides, we are seeking to meet the housing needs of migrant people who are unable to find or maintain work and ineligible for state support.

Our latest Manifesto is available by clicking on the link below.

Attachments:

File	Description	File Size
Manifesto June 2007		69 Kb