North Antrim TUV MLA Timothy Gaston
Timothy Gaston, MLA for North Antrim, addressed the Northern Ireland Assembly on Tuesday, highlighting the growing problems of unaffordable rents and a severe shortage of housing stock across the region.
In a forthright speech, Gaston stressed the importance of tackling the root causes of the housing crisis rather than merely managing its effects.
Gaston identified the scarcity of available housing and the slow pace of new affordable home construction as the primary reasons for rising rents.
"The main issue driving up rents is the lack of available housing stock and the lack of new affordable homes being built to match current, never mind future, demand," he said.
He welcomed Communities Minister Gordon Lyons’ recent pledge to deliver at least 100,000 new social or affordable homes over the next 15 years but voiced doubts about its practicality. Gaston pointed to potential obstacles, including insufficient capital funding, planning permission delays, and uncertainty over whether the Executive and the Minister for Infrastructure would commit to the necessary investment in Northern Ireland Water’s wastewater infrastructure.
He noted that "horror stories" of homeowners grappling with the consequences of decades of underfunding in this area are all too common across Northern Ireland, hindering housing development.
The North Antrim MLA also raised the issue of the increasing number of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), both legal and illegal, as a contributing factor.
He explained that landlords are evicting reliable tenants to convert properties into HMOs, which offer higher returns.
"A landlord in my constituency is now buying commercial properties in the town centre with a view to turning them into HMOs, because he can get a better return from an HMO than from a shop," Gaston said.
In a contentious part of his address, Gaston linked uncontrolled immigration to housing pressures, particularly in working-class areas like Harryville in Ballymena.
Quoting figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, he highlighted a net inflow of over 5,000 international migrants in the year ending mid-2022, arguing that this exacerbates the housing shortage and drives up rents.
"Whether the Chamber wants to admit it or not, uncontrolled immigration is a contributing factor to rising housing rents, especially in deprived areas," he insisted.
Gaston referenced disorder on the streets last summer and rebuffed claims that immigration’s impact on housing is a "myth." He also expressed concern about a court ruling on the Rwanda Bill, suggesting that Northern Ireland’s position under the EU protocol could weaken immigration controls compared to the rest of the UK.
"I make no apology for articulating [my constituents’] views here today, even if no one else will," he declared.
Gaston’s comments on immigration drew a sharp response from MLA Kate Nicholl, who interrupted to warn that such language was "extremely dangerous."
Nicholl argued that short-term lets like Airbnbs are a bigger issue in Gaston’s constituency than immigration, noting that asylum seekers and refugees are accommodated under separate arrangements, not through the Housing Executive. Gaston replied that immigration undeniably adds strain to housing stock, stating, "When there is a lack of stock, rents will ultimately increase: that is a fact."
Wrapping up his speech, Gaston emphasised that without addressing the underlying causes of rent hikes—such as housing shortages, infrastructure failings, and immigration pressures—landlords would continue to prioritise profit over tenant well-being.
"Unless and until we deal with the factors that cause rent increases, landlords will continue to be driven by money rather than by a desire to provide good houses for their tenants," he said. While he supported the motion being debated, Gaston called for a stronger focus on these root causes rather than temporary measures to restrain landlords.
Gaston’s remarks shed light on the intricate mix of supply, infrastructure, and social issues at play within the housing crisis affecting communities in North Antrim and across Northern Ireland.