Housing demand in west Belfast has outstripped supply, according to figures released by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive this week.
The finding, published in sectoral studies conducted by the executive, highlighted housing conditions in west Belfast and the nearby Shankill area.

It reflected a trend of population growth in Catholic areas, and decline in Protestant ones, while tensions between the two meant that one community could not be housed in the other's area.

The west Belfast study showed that the area's population had grown by 12 per cent from 1991 to 1999, compared with growth of 4 per cent for the whole of Belfast.

The number of people described as in housing need had reached an all-time high of 1,300, while a total of 1,900 people were on waiting lists.

The executive recognised that west Belfast was already a highly developed area with very little land.

It said that it would be looking at development on derelict land to meet brownfield targets as one way of addressing the problem of high demand.

The Shankill study painted a very different picture, with deprivation levels being among the highest in the province.

Social housing accounted for 54 per cent of the homes in the area,compared to an average of 36 per cent for the rest of Belfast.

Unlike in west Belfast, the supply of social housing continued to meet residents needs, and lower house prices meant that large numbers of first-time buyers were able to move into the area.