Almost 140,000 people in Wales are on social housing waiting lists, with over 11,000 individuals stuck in temporary accommodation, as discussed in the Senedd. Conservative shadow housing secretary Mark Isherwood criticised the Welsh Government for reducing funding since 1999, disregarding warnings, and causing a shortage of supply. He highlighted a significant drop in the number of new homes completed by social landlords in Wales, from over 2,600 annually to 785 between 1997 and 2010. Mr Isherwood pointed out that Welsh ministers had set a target to build 20,000 low-carbon social homes by 2026, but only 3,120 new homes were completed in the first three years of the current term, well below the target.
Accusations were made against the Welsh Government for altering the criteria for counting homes towards the target, raising concerns that up to 4,140 homes could be missed. Plaid Cymru’s Arfon MS Siân Gwenllian highlighted the housing crisis in Wales, with a record number of people in temporary accommodation, including over 11,000 individuals, a third of whom were children under 16, living in inadequate conditions. Research from the Bevan Foundation showed that only 30% of those in temporary housing were successfully moved to permanent homes in 2023-24.
Labour’s Swansea East MS Mike Hedges called for more cooperatively-owned houses and proposed that properties empty for over five years should be compulsorily purchased by councils at current value. He suggested allowing councils to borrow against the value of new-build housing. Janet Finch-Saunders raised concerns about the escalating spending on temporary accommodation, highlighting the challenges faced by families or individuals living in hotels for extended periods without proper facilities.
In response, Wales’ housing secretary Jayne Bryant stated that the Welsh Government had allocated over £1.4 billion to housing supply since the start of the current Senedd term in 2021. Mentioning the establishment of a new affordable homes task force and a fund to support transitions from temporary housing, she acknowledged the need for more homes built quickly but admitted the current challenges in new-build construction. Labour’s Swansea East MS Mike Hedges called for more cooperatively-owned houses and for properties empty for more than five years to be compulsorily purchased by councils at current value. He also suggested allowing councils to borrow against the value of new-build housing.
Plaid Cymru’s Sioned Williams raised concerns about asylum seekers being allowed only 28 days to leave accommodation once granted permission to stay. Acknowledging the importance of planning in addressing the housing crisis, Ms Bryant, responsible for councils but not planning policy, stated that planning would play a crucial role in finding solutions. The discussions in the Senedd shed light on the pressing issue of homelessness in Wales, with calls for urgent action to provide suitable and permanent housing for those in need.