Consultation on the Draft Community Involvement and Cohesion Strategy 2024 -2029 is now open.
The consultation will run for 12 weeks up to 5th July, 2024 and NIHE wants to hear from you.
The draft strategy sets out how NIHE will continue to support and work with communities to deliver services that are co-designed to create stronger, vibrant and inclusive communities.
An excerpt from the Draft’s Executive Summary:
Developing the Community Involvement and Cohesion Strategy has been a significant moment for the organisation; our staff, partners, customers, tenants, residents and leaseholders.
It has been carefully co-produced, through a genuine co-design partnership with community representatives from across the Housing Community Network. We have undertaken an inclusive pre-consultation process, and we have based our conclusions and recommendations for the future from this feedback which includes our vision:
“Enable and engage communities to interact and work together to co-design Housing Executive services and embrace a more cohesive society.”
(…) “There are a number of underrepresented groups across Northern Ireland. These groups have often found themselves being called ‘easy to ignore’. We want to make sure that what we do reflects the diversity of our communities, and we make efforts to ensure these groups are engaged and involved in the development and delivery of services.
The CSE Assessor stated, ‘The Community Involvement Strategy 2018-23 ensures that groups that are difficult to reach, such as Youth, Disability, Rural, LGBTQIA+ are engaged and given the assistance that they require…. The Housing Community Network (HCN) has over the past few years brought on representatives from all underrepresented groups.’
We know from our recent research into customer segmentation, that new communities are emerging in our estates, and neighbourhoods are becoming ever more dynamic, complex and culturally diverse. We welcome this cultural shift, and we want to ensure new communities not only are integrated but also feel safe in their homes. We believe that supporting and encouraging neighbourhoods, where everyone is valued and where diversity is celebrated, is fundamental to building a lasting peace and a stable society.”
Parties wishing to participate in the consultation process can do so by completing the consultation form at https://www.nihe.gov.uk/working-with-us/partners/consultations. We will also accept responses which do not use the form as your official response. The consultation form can also be made available in alternative formats on request.
A summary of responses will be published on completion of the consultation process, in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 Confidentiality of Consultations (nihe.gov.uk)
Completed consultation responses should be returned by 5pm on 5th July 2024 by email to comm_involvementcohesion@nihe.gov.uk or in writing to:
Community Cohesion and Involvement Unit
NI Housing Executive
4th Floor
2 Adelaide Street, Belfast
BT2 8PB
If you have any queries on any aspect of the consultation please contact
