Housing homeless people in pods branded 'desperate'

Housing stateless radical needing exigency accommodation successful glamping pods has been described by an assembly subordinate arsenic “inappropriate and unacceptable”.

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive has confirmed 4 pods astatine a edifice installation adjacent Belfast are utilized “occasionally and arsenic a past resort".

Alliance Party MLA Kellie Armstrong said placing radical successful pods shows however hopeless Northern Ireland's lodging situation had become.

The Housing Executive said the pods are “warm and comfortable... and tourer committee approved”.

“Desperate times telephone for hopeless measures, it seems, but glamping pods, honestly?” the Alliance MLA told BBC News NI.

“They are not due and not acceptable," she said.

"We are coming into winter. Can the Housing Executive warrant these pods volition header with the changing weather, beryllium capable to header with storms?”

A Housing Executive spokesperson said the pods are utilized lone successful the abbreviated word and are needed due to the fact that of unprecedented request for societal housing.

The fig of radical placed successful impermanent accommodation had risen from 4,527 successful 2020 to 16,943 successful 2023, the spokesperson added.

The pods, they continued, are utilized to location “smaller households of azygous persons oregon couples presenting arsenic homeless”.

“We lone usage this installation arsenic a past edifice erstwhile each different options are exhausted and for a abbreviated play of clip portion much suitable options person to the presenter’s country of prime are secured," the spokesperson said.

“The accommodation is lukewarm and comfortable, with washing facilities included, and those placed determination person afloat entree to the hotel’s wide facilities arsenic mean guests.”

The lodging assemblage said radical hold to beryllium placed there, and the pods are utilized to let radical to beryllium housed adjacent to their families and lone erstwhile “no different options are available”.

Armstrong said the usage of hotels and furniture and breakfasts arsenic impermanent accommodation has been good documented, but confirmation that glamping pods are present besides being utilised “beggars belief”.

“The facilities cannot beryllium large - facilities similar washing machines and fridges. How adjacent are these pods to the nearest shop?”

More than 30,000 households are presently registered arsenic being homeless, according to Housing Executive figures, portion the latest Stormont figures amusement that much than £34m was spent connected impermanent accommodation successful Northern Ireland successful the past fiscal year.

Providing much social, affordable, and sustainable lodging is among the cardinal priorities successful the Stormont Executive's draught programme for government.

Armstrong called for Stormont’s Communities Minister Gordon Lyons to bring the Housing Supply Strategy to the Executive arsenic soon arsenic possible.