The challenges faced by the housing sector in both Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland will be debated this week in a major conference hosted by the Chartered Institute of Housing and the University of Ulster, in Newcastle, Co Down. Ministers responsible for housing in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are keynote speakers at the event. A number of Social Development Committee members will be in attendance, with the committee take the opportunity to hold its regular meeting during the conference.

Sponsored by Helm Housing, the Conference, which aims to find areas of mutual housing interest across Ireland, will debate solutions in the current housing context, including ways to kick start the housing market, to prevent future volatility in the market, and to learn lessons from practice across the UK and Ireland.

It will bring together experts from across Ireland and the UK, including NI Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie MLA, Minister Michael Finneran TD from the Republic of Ireland, former Welsh Housing Minister, and Chair of the Welsh Affordable Housing Task and Finish Group, Sue Essex, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation, David Orr, Chair of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive Brian Rowntree, and Chair of the Commission on the Future for Housing in Northern Ireland, Lord Richard Best.

Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie will give the opening address to the Conference on Thursday and her counterpart in the Republic of Ireland Minister Michael Finneran will close the event on Friday.

Grainia Long, Director of the Chartered Institute of Housing Northern Ireland said, ‘the level of interest being paid to the conference and to housing by our political leaders is testament to the challenging conditions in which we now live and work, and is recognition of the central role which housing can play in contributing to the economy, to employment levels, and to the well being of communities’.

Paddy Gray from the University of Ulster commented, ‘I’m delighted that so many housing leaders will come together under one roof to plot a path forward for housing. Never has it been so important that we think long term about the future for housing. I’m confident that through events such as this, where we think collaboratively going forward, we can find practical and effective solutions for the benefit of communities.’

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(Issued on behalf of the CIH by Jill Dwyer, CIH Press Office, Octavia House, Westwood Way, Coventry CV4 8JP. Telephone: 02476 851780 . Email: press@cih.org).

For further information and out of office hours please contact Grainia Long on (07825 981880)

Notes to Editors:

1. The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) is the professional body for people involved in housing and communities. We are a registered charity and not-for-profit organisation. We have a diverse and growing membership of over 22,000 people – both in the public and private sectors – living and working in over 20 countries on five continents across the world. We exist to maximise the contribution that housing professionals make to the wellbeing of communities. Further information is available at: www.cih.org

2. The University of Ulster’s annual Conference of the Isles for 2009 will be hosted in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Housing, and will take place on the 7^th and 8^th May 2009 at the Slieve Donard Resort and Spa in Newcastle, Co. Down. The Conference of the Isles is a unique event in the annual housing calendar; bringing together decision makers, academics, policy experts and practitioners from each of the jurisdictions in Britain and Ireland. It will be chaired by Senior Lecturer from the University of Ulster, Paddy Gray.

3. The conference brings together experts from across Northern Ireland, Britain and the Republic of Ireland, including Paddy Gray from the University of Ulster; Sarah Webb from the Chartered Institute of Housing; Dr Sean Barrett, Trinity College Dublin; Paddy McIntyre from Northern Ireland Housing Executive; Professor Steve Wilcox, University of York; and Lord Richard Best, Chair of the Commission on the Future of Housing In Northern Ireland; Brian Rowntree from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. For further information, and a full list of speakers, visit www.cih.org/northernireland

Conference sponsored by helm housing