Diarmaid Ward
(UCL) -
2021-22 Students
Has the Northern Ireland Executive’s Shared Housing Programme been able to create sustainable mixed communities through new build social housing projects?The provision of social housing can help to ensure that enough low-cost homes are available for those in need, particularly those on low incomes. But does social housing also have a role to play in building community relations? The Good Friday Agreement includes a specific commitment to the promotion of ‘mixed housing’ in Northern Ireland where people from both sides of the sectarian divide reside together. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) has committed to delivering 800 new homes in shared communities. Engaging in a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and participant observation, I want to examine how successful and sustainable these new communities have become from the point of view of the residents themselves.
The provision of social housing can help to ensure that enough low-cost homes are available for those in need, particularly those on low incomes. But does social housing also have a role to play in building community relations? The Good Friday Agreement includes a specific commitment to the promotion of ‘mixed housing’ in Northern Ireland where people from both sides of the sectarian divide reside together. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) has committed to delivering 800 new homes in shared communities. Engaging in a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and participant observation, I want to examine how successful and sustainable these new communities have become from the point of view of the residents themselves.