This book is the product of a two-year research project on ‘Budget Analysis and the Advancement of Economic and Social Rights in Northern Ireland’. Based at the School of Law at Queen’s University Belfast, this project was undertaken by the authors. The project was made possible by funding from Atlantic Philanthropies and we are grateful for their support. We also acknowledge the invaluable assistance of our support staff on the project, Chris Wallace and Jennie Finlay. The project team placed considerable emphasis on the peer review of its outputs in order to ensure that its outputs, including those discussed in this work, are complete, accurate and rigorous. In particular, extensive comments were provided by members of the project’s International Advisory Board. Representatives of non-governmental organizations (including members of the project’s Local Working Group) made many valuable suggestions, as did a number of other stakeholders. In addition, several experts in housing and economics offered comments on the findings presented in Chapters 5 and 6. The Northern Ireland Department for Social Development (DSD) and officials in the Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) also provided constructive suggestions. The project team acknowledges the time, effort and expertise of all these persons and is grateful for their assistance. The team would like to express particular gratitude to Ann Blyberg, Debbie Budlender, Fiona Crowley, Diane Elson, Oonagh Kane, Rosalind McKenna, Ignacio Saiz, Mart?n S?gal, Alex Tennant and Sally-Anne Way. We thank Marie Lynch for assistance with the proofreading. The authors would also like to thank our colleagues, families and friends for their support throughout the life of the project and beyond.