Housing Rights cautiously welcomes the reform of the Housing Selection Scheme to better meet the needs of a wider range of vulnerable people, including victims of domestic abuse.
While we await further details on both the future verification process and Primary Social Needs factors, we firmly believe that prioritisation should be given to everyone whose lives are under threat or who are at risk of serious injury in their home, including victims of domestic abuse. Housing Rights also believes that the creation of a robust, consistent and fair verification process is necessary to ensure that victims are recognised early and that they are appropriately supported into a safe and sustainable home.
Housing Rights recognises that the current intimidation points policy is open to exploitation and we have advocated for its reform. However, through our advocacy work, we have seen the award of these points act as a lifeline to the people to people we support whose lives or safety are at risk. We therefore really welcome the transitional arrangements which will protect recipients of intimidation points and people who are currently being assessed for intimidation points and look forward to working with both the Department for Communities and the Housing Executive to achieve as smooth a transition to a new policy as possible.
In light of the Minister’s decision to remove intimidation points, Housing Rights recommends:
- In the review of Primary Social Needs Factors, consideration should be given to creating a new category incorporating all victims of intimidation, threat, or violence, including domestic abuse. Additionally, the number of points that can be allocated under Primary Social Needs Factors should be increased to accurately reflect the vulnerabilities and needs of victims and prioritise their safety. Consideration of the number of points which could be awarded should include consultation with people with lived experience and relevant advocacy organisations.
- The Northern Ireland Housing Executive should create and clearly communicate a robust, consistent and easily understandable verification process. The verification process should be comprehensively reviewed using a trauma-informed approach to ensure that the process does not unintentionally re-traumatise victims.
Any policy reforms must ensure the prioritisation of people in imminent danger of death or serious injury.
Read our full reform of intimidation points briefing paper.