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Home is more than just a building – it’s a place where we belong and part of that sense of belonging comes from feeling that we are part of a community.

That’s why housing associations and their partners invest millions of pounds each year delivering a myriad of programmes to combat isolation and loneliness, to support personal development, mental health and physical well-being, and to bring people and communities together.

Housing association tenants report high levels of satisfaction with their neighbourhoods. Our commitment to helping tenants engage with people in their local communities is created with being one of the reasons for this. l

Housing associations and our partners also help communities to come together by building shared facilities such as play parks, football pitches and community resource centres.

Kids playing table games in a community centre

A games room at Apex Housing’s Glen Community Centre

We also invest millions each year helping to restore our built heritage, regenerate communities and protect the environment.

We engage with local councils across Northern Ireland to help influence the local development plans that will shape our communities including housing services and investment in infrastructure.

Government and local councils can help by ensuring that both social and affordable housing, as well as community infrastructure, are made an integral part of the community planning process.

We also ask our public representatives to ensure that more supports are available for housing associations wishing to refurbish or convert derelict or vacant buildings.

We strive to make our communities more inclusive – to break down the barriers that divide us, whether they are political, religious, economic or racial.

We ask elected representatives, civil servants, council planners and everyone involved in community planning to put a greater emphasis on mixed tenure development and creating more integrated communities.

Potential benefits of mixed tenure including: reducing place and tenure-based stigma; reduced levels of crime and anti-social behaviour; improved sense of community and social cohesion; better job prospects and improved school attainment; improved physical and mental health for residents. 2

Cover of NIFHA DfC Mixed Tenure report

NIFHA / DfC Report on Mixed Tenure.

More than 20 years after the Good Friday Agreement was signed, 90 per cent of social housing is still segregated along religious and cultural divides.3

In addition, some ethnic minorities, living in both urban and rural areas, have been subject to racist abuse, threats and even attacks.

Housing associations are committed to building safe, sustainable communities and are involved in many significant projects to tackle segregation, intimidation and racism.

We deliver the  Shared Neighbourhoods initiative as part of the Government’s Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) Strategy.

Group of dancers and musicians

As part of the HAIP project, Choice Housing tenants enjoyed a night of traditional Irish music, music from around the world, Chinese dancers, Scottish and Irish dancers and foods from around the world.
Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press

And our Housing Associations Integration Project (HAIP) has already brought more than 1,600 people from 36 social housing estates in Northern Ireland and the border counties together to learn about each other, embrace diversity and build lasting relationships between communities.

This €1.1m 3-year project is supported by the EU’s PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body, as well as the Executive Office in Northern Ireland and the Dept. for Rural and Community Development in Ireland. It is being delivered in partnership with Apex, Choice, Clanmil and Radius Housing, as well as TIDES Training and the Irish Council for Social Housing.

Women in Afghan traditional dress speaking to other local residents at a community event.

Radius tenants from Ballymena and Randalstown are learning about each other’s traditions and cuisine as part of the Housing Associations Integration Project.

This €1.1m 3-year project is supported by the EU’s PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body, as well as the Executive Office in Northern Ireland and the Dept. for Rural and Community Development in Ireland. It is being delivered in partnership with Apex, Choice, Clanmil and Radius Housing, as well as TIDES Training and the Irish Council for Social Housing.

Composite of four pics

Apex Housing is bringing together tenants from Convoy, Co. Donegal and Sheriff’s Glen in Derry/Londonderry – watch the video to learn more.

 

Featured photo: Two young boys enjoying Clanmil’s Music in the Park event in Dungannon, as part of the Housing Associations Integration Project.

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1 NIFHA Tenant Omnibus Survey 2017, 88% of residents said they were satisfied with their neighbourhood.

2 NIFHA and Dept. for Communities, Mainstreaming Mixed Tenure in Northern Ireland: the way forward for developing homes? (2018)

3 Housing Executive, Community Cohesion Strategy 2015-2020.