June 2024
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This conference examined priorities for housing in Wales, including options for improving affordability and supply of housing, and accelerating progress towards the ambition to end homelessness.
It was an opportunity for stakeholders and policymakers to assess relevant policy developments, including:
- the Government’s White Paper on ending homelessness in Wales, including proposals on local authority responsibilities around potential home loss, and the introduction of Personal Housing Plans
- The Right to Adequate Housing, the Local Government and Housing Committee’s inquiry into housing supply
- The Welsh Housing Quality Standard 2023, which looks to build upon the WHQS to improve the quality of social housing in Wales
- Social housing supply, the Local Government and Housing Committee’s inquiry into progress towards the target of 20,000 new low carbon social homes for rent by 2026
- Plaid Cymru’s proposal for Unnos, a publicly-owned construction company as part of the Cooperation Agreement
Delegates considered strategic options for tackling key issues in the delivery of high-quality housing stock in Wales, including supply shortages, rising costs of materials, and issues surrounding the planning system, as well as how rising demand can be met so as to prevent increasing levels of homelessness and rough sleeping.
Delivery of early intervention measures was discussed, including proposals from the Welsh Government for revised responsibilities of local authorities to step in six months prior to potential home loss and the introduction of Personal Housing Plans. Delegates also considered next steps for the supply, access and security of social housing, as well as international best practice.
In the context of cost of living pressures, we expected discussion on the way forward for improving finance options for prospective buyers, and tackling challenges faced by landlords and tenants trying to enter the private rented sector.
Further sessions assessed progress since the Welsh Government-commissioned Independent Review of Affordable Housing Supply, which made recommendations around quality standards, finance, rent policy, the role of local government, innovation, and the need for data and evidence.
We are pleased to have been able to include a keynote session with the chair of the review, Lynn Pamment. Keynote contributions also include: Cenydd Rowlands, Property Director, Development Bank of Wales; and Dr Bob Smith, Honorary Senior Research Fellow, School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University.
Sessions in the agenda included:
- key issues: the state of the housing sector in Wales - priorities going forward
- ending homelessness: strategic options - prevention and early intervention - local authority responsibilities - findings from the White Paper consultation - international best practice
- progress: assessing developments and implementation since the 2019 Independent Review of Affordable Housing Supply
- affordability: improving access to social housing - private rental costs - access to finance and mortgage products - rights of tenants and landlords - resolving disputes
- supply and quality: achieving house building targets - improving the planning system - tackling construction costs and availability of materials - building environmentally sustainable homes
- policy: priorities for the supply, quality and affordability of housing in Wales
The conference was an opportunity for stakeholders to consider the issues alongside key policy officials who attended from the Welsh Government; DLUHC; DWP; HMRC; and ONS.
