Affordable Housing Definition and Role

The availability of affordable housing (see Glossary) is one part of the drive to help create mixed and inclusive communities. The planning system has an important role to play in creating communities with a wider range of housing in terms of tenure, size, type and affordability. Affordable housing can be considered as housing within a range of tenures, which is of a reasonable standard and available to households at reasonable cost. What is reasonable cost is dependant upon a prevailing situation, economic conditions and levels of income for each particular area. The NIHE carries out a regular assessment of low cost affordable housing and compiles the affordability index (see Glossary), which identifies the level of affordability in a particular area.