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South Area Homelessness Local Area Group Meets in Armagh
Extern, Housing Rights, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council, and the Southern Health and Social Care Trust met last week at Extern's Armagh office for the South Area Homelessness Local Area Group — a regular partnership forum tackling homelessness in Northern Ireland.
What is the Homelessness Local Area Group?
The Homelessness Local Area Group is a cross-sector forum where statutory, community and voluntary organisations share updates, exchange knowledge, and identify opportunities to work together more effectively on homelessness prevention and support. The South Area group covers Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon.
Housing Rights' mediation service explained
Housing Rights presented their housing mediation service, which helps resolve disputes between private tenants and landlords before they escalate. The organisation also runs a dedicated mediation service for young people, aimed at preventing housing conflict from leading to homelessness. Early mediation of this kind is widely recognised as an effective homelessness prevention tool, reducing the number of people who reach crisis point in the private rented sector.
Why this partnership matters
Extern works in partnership with statutory, community and voluntary sector organisations across Northern Ireland to address the causes and consequences of homelessness. Local Area Groups ensure services are joined up, informed by shared, on-the-ground knowledge, and responsive to the needs of each region.
What's next
Further Homelessness Local Area Group meetings are scheduled this month in:
- South West
- Mid Ulster
- Ards and North Down
- South Down
These sessions continue Extern's ongoing commitment to cross-sector collaboration in tackling homelessness across Northern Ireland.