Social Rented Housing Sector

Debate between Florence Eshalomi and Jim Shannon

Thursday 12th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Florence Eshalomi]

My hon. Friend, like many of us, is a proud advocate for ensuring that this Government honour their commitment to build new social homes. It is important that we look at the range of avenues available to house builders, councils and developers, and that the Government continue to fund them. My hon. Friend may be aware of the affordable homes programme prospectus, which opened just this month. The Government are asking councils, developers and housing associations to come forward with bids; we very much hope that a number of those bids will be for new, high-quality, family-sized social homes.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I thank the Chair and the Committee for their report; I declare an interest as the chair of the healthy homes and buildings all-party parliamentary group. Finding a way forward is critical. As a Northern Ireland MP, I see this issue every week. Given the importance of the recommendations and details that the hon. Lady and her Committee have set out, I ask that they be shared with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, the major social housing provider in Northern Ireland, and with the housing associations. This is significant, and they need to know about it.

[Florence Eshalomi]

I always thank the hon. Member for his wonderful, timely interventions on many issues across the House. Conditions in homes have an impact on all constituency MPs across the UK: it is a big issue that we see weekly in our inboxes and our advice surgeries, so it is important that we share best practice and learning from other regions in the UK.

Children in Temporary Accommodation: England

Debate between Florence Eshalomi and Jim Shannon

Thursday 3rd April 2025 Commons Chamber

[Florence Eshalomi]

I thank my fellow Chair, the Chair of the Treasury Committee. This is really important. As we said, we welcome the Government’s inter-ministerial group, which meets regularly to consider key findings. It is vital that it works to end homelessness across the UK. We are pushing the Government to bring forward their strategy before the summer recess; it is vital that local authorities, charities and organisations can plan before the summer holiday, when, sadly, more children will be shunted from one borough to another if we do not get to grips with this issue.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I commend the hon. Lady. She has a big heart, and we thank her for her leadership of the Committee. It is right to address the issue of homeless children. Rental accommodation is too expensive. We have high demand for social housing, multiple families living in one household, and mould and damp issues. This report is excellent. It lays out the issues but also puts forward recommendations. Will she share it with the relevant Minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly?

[Florence Eshalomi]

I am always happy to see the hon. Member in the Chamber, and he makes an excellent point. We have to make sure that we share our learnings right across the UK, including with Northern Ireland, and I am happy to do that.