The housing crisis in Wales is at an emergency stage, harming the most vulnerable individuals regardless of age, religion or any other background. An even more shocking 88 million people and families are stuck in line for better homes. This crisis has led to emergency conversations between leaders in government and housing advocacy groups. According to the most recent figures, as many as 94,000 households have a housing need. This is the reality that underlies this staggeringly high number—almost 177,000 people, nearly 55,000 of which are children.
As local resident Leah Jones put it, this isn’t just about having more houses to rent. “It’s a bigger social issue than just housing stock,” she stated, highlighting the complexities surrounding the crisis. The Welsh government’s recent investment of more than £2 billion into social housing during this Senedd term reflects their commitment to tackling the problem. That still leaves many residents doubting if there are enough properties available. They wonder how truly effective the current initiatives have been.
Iwan Trefor Jones, the chief executive of Adra, said the funding of Welsh government for new builds was essential. His organization is the largest local landlord, with management of over 7,000 properties in the area. His biggest point of pride is that many of the developments going up soon will include affordable homes. Some are expressly labelled as social housing. “The Social Housing Grant is a very important source of funding for us to deliver schemes like this, and that grant has increased significantly over the last two to three years,” he explained.
Bethan Owen of the Welsh government passed along the great news. They’re doing it at some of the best delivery rates we’ve seen for almost two decades! She affirmed, “Despite unprecedented economic challenges, we’ve invested more than £2 billion this Senedd term in social housing.” This investment is a recognition of the response needed to meet that soaring demand with housing solutions.
That was cold comfort, as Plaid Cymru’s housing spokeswoman Sian Gwenllian warned that the housing emergency was still as serious as ever. “Housing is probably about half of the casework we deal with in my constituency,” she said. That feeling is palpable on both sides of the aisle, as governors, schools, and families alike understand that a ticking clock is a big deal.
Gwynedd Council’s development arm has initiated plans to construct 30 new homes in Dinas, demonstrating local efforts to alleviate the crisis. Despite those odds, Leah Jones didn’t feel great about homeownership chances. “I don’t think I will ever be able to afford a house,” she lamented.
The Welsh government’s determination is no less noteworthy, and is exemplified in their commitment to build 20,000 homes over the course of this legislative term. This ambitious plan would help them stay ahead of growing demand and expand service to more people who need it. Additionally, the Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Bill outlines proposals to maximize usage of social housing for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Despite these initiatives, challenges persist. Many of these families are still in dangerous situations, holed up in small apartments with no room to spread out. “We see families who may have a child with special needs being cooped up in a tiny flat with no space for that family to use outside,” a concerned source remarked.
Underneath all of these positive actions taken is an overarching sentiment of urgency and frustration. “We have an emergency here, but it’s not being taken seriously enough,” one observer stated. Joel James noted the collective failures that have led us to this crisis juncture. He claimed that Wales is facing an extreme housing crisis.
A decade later, many residents are grappling with a pernicious hydra of interrelated problems. This further compounds the difficulty of their search for affordable housing. Leah Jones noted the role of the private sector in exacerbating the crisis: “I think there are probably issues with the private sector as well, with landlords charging really high rents that people can’t afford.”
