The scale of the housing crisis in the north has been underlined again as new figures from the National House Building Council (NHBC) reveal another stark fall in new home registrations.
Latest data shows that, UK-wide, 28,724 new homes were registered to be built in the third quarter of this year, which is up 40% on the same period in 2023, when 20,449 housing were built, and running generally level with the previous quarter (29,093).
But in Northern Ireland, new home registrations have plummeted by 29% year-on-year, NHBC says, with it and London (down 50%) the only two of the 12 UK regions to have seen a fall.
In quarter three of 2023, some 1,256 homes were registered in Northern Ireland, but this fell to just 887 in the most recent quarter.
NHBC, which is the UK’s leading independent provider of warranty and insurance for new-build homes, deems a new registration as when a developer has registered their intent to build a new home.
The local figures are in stark contrast to the rest of the UK.
NHBC chief executive Steve Wood said: “The latest quarter’s figures show that new home registrations are holding steady, with some signs of increased activity on site and an emerging mood of cautious optimism amongst house builders.
“A further uplift in registrations is needed to move us towards the government’s 1.5 million new homes target, with this dependent on continued easing of interest rates and a rise in confidence amongst consumers and investors.
“Private sector registrations experienced something of an uplift in quarter, up 58% compared to the previous year.
“Rental and affordable registrations were also up, by 12%, but this belies challenging conditions for housing associations where capital budgets are focused on the remediation and retrofit of existing stock, alongside high spends on temporary housing.”
Mr Wood added: “With house builders cautiously optimistic about growth prospects, we anticipate an upward trajectory for new home registrations in 2025, but with the health warning that the stubborn barriers in the planning system and around skills shortages must be tackled.”
