The Programme for Government

On Monday 3 March 2025, the Executive Office published the final Programme for Government (PfG). The final document, published after a consultation on a draft programme in late 2024, includes nine priorities and three missions. Of particular note when it comes to housing and homelessness is the decision for the first time to include a specific housing priority within the programme. The priority includes a specific target of starting 5,850 new social homes by the end of the mandate in May 2027.

Our Response

Responding to the programme, Nicola McCrudden, CEO of Homeless Connect, said:

“With homelessness levels continuing to rise, we very much welcome the priority given to housing within this Programme for Government which recognises the importance social and affordable housing has in creating stable and healthy communities. The inclusion of social housing targets provides accountability and will be something which we, and others, will closely monitor. The challenge now is to make it happen – which will require commitment across government departments to the investment needed and to collaborative working alongside partners in the statutory, private and third sectors.”

Policy

Mark Baillie, Head of Policy and Programmes at Homeless Connect said:

“This society is in a situation where just under 31,000 households including almost 60,000 individuals have homelessness status on the social housing waiting list. The inclusion of a specific target of starting over 5,850 new social homes by 2027 is welcome. However, for the target to be met, significant and consistent investment will be required. At the Communities Committee last week, departmental officials indicated that with the initial capital budget allocation, less than a thousand social housing new starts will be possible in 2025/6. The final budget allocation for the coming year provided to the Department for Communities must include the investment needed to ensure these new homes can be started.

 

We welcome the commitment made in the final Programme to preventing homelessness. Prevention is better than cure and legislative change will be needed to introduce a legal duty for statutory providers and housing associations to help prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place.”

Poverty

Declan McKillop, Head of Operations at Homeless Connect FareShare, said:

“Poverty and homelessness are inherently interlinked and if we are to reduce homelessness levels it is key for poverty here to be addressed. Homeless Connect operates FareShare locally which directly responds to food poverty in this society while tackling food waste. FareShare collects surplus food from industry and redistributes it to charities providing meals to people who are experiencing poverty – averaging around 727 tonnes of food annually, equivalent to 1.73 million meals, to 172 charity projects and schools. There is a huge need for nutritious food and we believe that there are opportunities to link the agri-food sector to help reduce poverty and tackle climate change.

 

While some changes have been made to the final programme for Government when it comes to responding to poverty, the final Programme remains vague on what the Executive will do in this area. While there is reference to an Anti-Poverty Strategy, it is not clear what funding will be available to implement it.”