Speaking in the Assembly to launch a consultation on Northern Ireland's first housing strategy 'Facing the Future', the Minister said there was a need for leadership, commitment and partnership to deliver real and lasting change.
The Minister said: "This is Northern Ireland's first housing strategy. The proposals set out milestones for the next five years and a vision focused on ensuring access to good quality housing at a reasonable cost.
"Of course, facing the future means facing the realities of economic recovery, creating employment and regenerating our most deprived and neglected communities and the future of housing here has a significant role to play.
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"We need to create the right conditions to grow a sustainable housing market, provide support for individuals and families and get the structures in place that will deliver for future generations.
"We know that for every 10 jobs created through the social housing programme, seven will be sustained elsewhere. We know that having a place to call home helps to build a safe, healthy and prosperous society. And we know that changes coming as a result of welfare reform will present further challenges ahead.
"This housing strategy is about delivering a programme for the next five years to get Northern Ireland building, working and living in housing that best meets their needs, is affordable and makes best use of the budgets and assets we have at our disposal."
The strategy has five key themes – ensuring access to decent, affordable, sustainable homes across all tenures; meeting housing needs and supporting the most vulnerable; housing and welfare reform; driving regeneration and sustaining communities through housing; and getting the structures right.
(CD/GK)
