A Catholic applying for social housing in north Belfast will wait on average 23 months, compared to 12 months for a Protestant, according to a new report.

Equality Can't Wait was compiled by the Participation and Practice of Rights group.

Calling for urgent action to address housing inequality experienced by Catholics in north Belfast, the report claims that the Department of Social Development and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive have together been responsible for a catalogue of failures in accountability and missed opportunities to tackle the problem over the last decade.

Inaccurate statistics
One of the report's central claims is that the statutory agencies are using inaccurate statistics to monitor homelessness in north Belfast. In particular, it states that the Housing Executive has used two different methods of gauging the religious composition of the housing waiting list in the area.

Using its own “proxy” indicator – in most cases a post code – the group found that Catholics accounted for 76 per cent of the housing list, with Protestants at 22 per cent.

The report also raised concerns about the means by which the Housing Executive determines where new homes should be built in Northern Ireland.