Communities Minister has announced the Loan to
Acquire Move-on Accommodation (LAMA) scheme.
The announcement follows Executive agreement on the Housing
Supply Strategy, which outlines a collective way forward and
highlights the need for new approaches to a range of housing
issues in Northern Ireland.
LAMA is a £10million loan fund running for five years available
to Homelessness charities looking to provide well managed, long
term, private rented sector accommodation at an affordable rate.
Minister Lyons stated: “I am pleased to be launching this
new programme during Homelessness Awareness Week. I have said
that we must be radical in our approach to housing, seeking
innovative solutions to problems, thinking of different ways to
respond to need, and this is exactly what this money will
do.
“It uses Financial Transactions Capital to provide loans
so that experienced charities in the homelessness sector can buy
additional homes to provide move-on accommodation and help people
transition through the system more quickly.
“I have seen firsthand the amazing work homelessness
sector charities do in their hostels, however assisting people
into an independent private tenancy will make a considerable
difference to people's lives. Ensuring people can access secure
tenancies, with appropriate support, will provide them with
opportunities to gain a greater level of control over their
lives, reconnect with family, or simply feel part of a community
again.”
