Communities Minister Gordon Lyons condemned those he described as ‘intent on destroying communities’.
Some 86 households in Northern Ireland have contacted the Housing Executive following a week of rioting and violence, the Assembly has heard.
The figure included 26 seeking emergency accommodation, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons told MLAs.
Disorder broke out in parts of Northern Ireland following a knife attack in north Belfast on Monday night which saw the victim left critically ill in hospital, and included a number of race-motivated attacks on property and vehicles.
Some families were escorted from their homes to safety by police.
Mr Lyons condemned the actions of those who he described as “intent on destroying communities” in the Assembly on Monday.
He said he has spoken with those affected, who have had their businesses damaged and people from minority ethnic communities who he described as “terrified at what has taken place”.
“I also activated last week the scheme of emergency financial assistance, and that provides support to councils as they respond to recent events and mitigate the impact of the emergency,” he said, adding it will remain in operation until the situation resolves.
Mr Lyons was questioned about the impact of the violence during questions for his department, which has responsibility for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
Mr Lyons said while he “understands that people are rightly horrified about what has happened in North Belfast last Monday” and said people have a right to protest, he added: “nothing can excuse the violence and disorder that we witnessed in the days and the nights that followed”.
He said his officials and staff in the Housing Executive have been “working around the block to ensure that those who have been displaced are cared for and supported”.
“This has not been an easy task, and I want to put on record my thanks to all their efforts to assist those who need it most,” he said.
“As reported by 5pm on Sunday June 15, 86 households had presented to the Housing Executive, citing civil unrest, and 26 of these were requests for temporary accommodation.”
SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan put to the minister what message he has for those who “took to the streets to air their legitimate concerns, one of which is a shortage of housing, and their way of expressing those concerns was to burn homes”.
Mr Lyons accused Mr Durkan of “making a cheap political point”.
He also said Mr Durkan “needs to make a difference between those who were engaged in legitimate and peaceful protests, those that engaged in violence.
“It is not right that the two are put into the same category, because they are not, and it’s not right that that happens,” he said.
“But, as I have said in the past, and as I say again, destruction of people’s homes does not benefit anyone, and this sort of intimidation and violence benefits no one at all.”
