The most recent Department for Communities’ Homelessness Bulletin showed that between April and September 2024, there had been a total of 6,105 placements to temporary accommodation across the north; of these, 45.7% (2,789) were to hotels or BnBs (while 21.5% (1,313) were to Dispersed Intensively Managed Emergency Accommodation (DIME), and just 13.8% (841) to private single lets).

By FOI response 621 of 13 January 2025, the Housing Executive confirmed that at end September 2024 there were 473 households placed in emergency (‘non-standard’) temporary accommodation in hotels or B&Bs.

What more do we know about the people affected?

At end September 2024, roughly nine out of ten of the 473 households in ‘emergency temporary accommodation’ were in Belfast (219) and Derry (217). Over a quarter of affected households (126) were families with children; just under half (214) were single men.

The high number of placements between April and September, as compared to the end September ‘snapshot’, would seem evidence confirming numerous people’s accounts (including some in the press stories) that once placed in emergency accommodation hotels, people are likely to be moved repeatedly between hotels in different locations, causing further disruption to their lives. 

What standards do the Housing Executive use?

By FOI response 540 of 4 November 2024 the Housing Executive said that it ‘acquires the use of [hotel] accommodation in the same manner as other customer groups … whereby the respective Hotel/B&B is subject to the relevant checks and accreditation in order to operate as a short-term accommodation. The Housing Executive is not responsible for such inspections.” In other words, the Housing Executive’s standards for what may end up being a long-term arrangement are no different to what you or I would expect of accommodation for a single night.

This is clearly challenging where people may need specific facilities and where there is potential for overcrowding. It becomes increasingly problematic when it lasts beyond a day or two. Managing without access to cooking or laundry facilities for one night is feasible, but what about when it becomes your new reality, with no end date in sight?

What is the Housing Executive’s relationship to providers?

FOI response 540 further clarified that the Housing Executive has no policy relating to acquisition of these premises, and no contractual relationship with providers: “the majority of non-standard temporary accommodation is acquired as and when required, with a small number of block-booking arrangements in place.”

What does this cost?

The Communities Minister’s reported response to  the February 2025 Assembly question AQW 22282 / 22-27 by MLA Mark Durkan, about non-standard temporary accommodation costs over the last decade, was revealing. From a spend of £0 in 2015/16, the total rose to £16,634,403 in 2024/25.

This equates to, on average, £45,574 per day – enough to house 50 households for a month (using BBC News’ October 2024 figure – taken from PropertyPal of an average NI rent of £891/month).

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