The results of the statutory assessment of housing needs undertaken by local authorities at the end of March 1999 indicated a total of 39,176 households in need of local authority housing. From ongoing contacts by my Department with local authorities it is estimated that needs increased by around 15% between March 1999 and March 2000.
The next statutory assessment of housing needs is due to be undertaken by local authorities at the end of March 2002 and my Department will shortly establish a working group with key local authority personnel to devise detailed and up-to-date guidelines for local authorities in conducting the next statutory assessment of needs. I intend that these guidelines will be available to local authorities by the end of this year.
The Government is fully aware of the increased level of social housing need and priority is being given by tackling this need. I have taken a range of measures to assist local authorities to expand their housing programmes and to expand overall social housing output. This has included the introduction of a four year multi-annual programme for the period 2000-03, to assist better forward planning by local authorities and to increase output. This programme provides for 25,000 local authority houses in this four year period. In contrast, in the early 1990s, local authority housing output averaged about 1,000 units per annum.
The greatly increased targets under the multi-annual local authority housing programme together with the projected almost eightfold increase in voluntary housing output is indicative of the Government's commitment to tackling social housing need. We will do this in a way which is responsive to the volume of needs but also to the range of needs and to the necessity to secure quality social housing provision which contributes to social inclusion.
Local authorities are aware that the necessary funding for their housing programme is in place and there is no impediment on this front. For example, capital funding for the provision of local authority housing in 2001 increased by over 44% on the original provision in 2000 and by almost 150% since 1997. There is now strong evidence that local authorities are increasing activity. I believe that the multi-annual housing programme will be implemented successfully and we will achieve targeted output over the four year period of the programme.
From details of the construction-acquisition programmes submitted by local authorities to my Department, I expect authorities to complete or acquire over 5,000 houses in 2001 and start in excess of 7,000 houses. This is the highest level of activity for many years and is evidence that the multi-annual programme approach is beginning to bear fruit.