Criminals who are targeting Housing Executive homes in Ardoyne are denying families’ access to proper homes, said North Belfast Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly.
Criminal gangs have been targeting heating systems in homes that are undergoing change-of-tenancy repairs and selling it as scrap metal.
“The housing crisis remains at a critical level and the criminal gangs that are ripping out these home heating systems for scrap metal are contemptible,” said Kelly.
“Not only do these actions affect homes that people are waiting to move into but the cost of restoring the heating systems are a huge drain on public money.”
He said that the value of the scrap metal is a few hundred pounds but replacing a heating system can cost around £10,000.
“This of course means there is less money for new homes and much needed repairs.”
Ardoyne Sinn Féin councillor Gerard McCabe said he has been working with families in the area to get much-needed homes.
“Families are waiting to be allocated homes by the Housing Executive but they can’t be allocated because of the actions of these mindless criminals. They are denying these families access to proper homes.”
He urged the PSNI to take prompt action to bring these criminal gangs before the courts and appealed to scrap merchants to be mindful of people coming to them with this type of scrap metal.
“If they are suspicious of anything I urge them to contact the PSNI.”
Gerard also appealed to social housing providers to mark the heating systems so they can be identified.
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