Increased levels of intimidation by paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland have forced housing providers to cope with hundreds of displaced families, it emerged this week
News of Republican death-threats forcing people into exile and the stalling peace process has come as the Northern Ireland Housing Executive described the past year as "one of the most difficult in recent times".

Chairman of the executive Sid McDowell said "increasing levels of intimidation" by paramilitaries was jeopardising efforts at community regeneration. During the year the executive had to offer 318 people priority rehousing because of paramilitary intimidation.

The executive has also been forced to buy up private sector homes because of intimidation. Last year was at a record high with 253 applications approved at a cost of just over £9m.

"Unfortunately, in Northern Ireland community regeneration must be delivered against a background of sectarianism and paramilitary intimidation," said McDowell.

"Last year was once again disappointing as we were left to pick up the pieces of another summer of discontent."

In his annual review of the executive, which last year spent £540m including reprairs to 21,000 homes and improvements to 2,500 more, McDowell said he hoped the changing political landscape would see an end to intimidation and violence on estates.

"If we can take something positive out of what was a period of turmoil it is the fact that both communities recognise the executive as the first port of call in an emergency," he said.

"In the new evolving political climate effective community relations will be increasingly important. As a good landlord we are concious of the need to promote good community relations on our estates. It has always been a fundamental right of every family to live in peace with their neighbour regardless of their race or religious beliefs."

Source

Housing Today