Candidates for the local government elections in May are being urged to Think Housing.
As part of its ‘Local Homes, Local Delivery’ work, Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Cymru is calling on candidates to champion five pledges both in the run-up to and beyond the election.
The pledges include:
- Prioritising social housing – Linked to the achievement of the 20,000 low-carbon social housing target where local authorities have a leading role to play in developing new homes, increasing the supply of land and rejuvenating local economies.
- Take action on empty homes – Calling on local authorities to take further action, dedicating further staff expertise to the area, creating recyclable funding and progressing community-led approaches.
- Maintain momentum in addressing homelessness – Recognising the huge role every local authority has played in supporting the effort throughout the pandemic, calling on a long-term view to commissioning services and emphasising trauma-informed approaches.
- Place housing at the forefront of climate action – Considering the position local authorities occupy in supporting sustainable development, a carbon neutral approach to public services and enabling society to jointly address the effects of climate change.
- Invest in the local authority housing workforce – Calling on local authorities to recognise the contribution of and invest further in housing professionals working within local government whose combined activity has an impact across house building, housing standards and safety and homelessness prevention.
Matt Kennedy, policy and public affairs manager at CIH Cymru said: ‘We’re asking candidates to support a clear, simple message – in your electioneering efforts, and whatever comes after the election – Think Housing. We know that those elected to local government already have a strong affinity with the work of the sector given that housing forms the basis or is in fact a focal point of what people talk to them about on a daily basis.
‘Whilst we recognise not everything is in the power or control of local government members as they make decisions about how to plan and allocate resources, we believe that our five pledges are timely reminders of the potential impact they can have in ensuring that the work of the sector, and that in particular of local authorities is harnessed to best effect in addressing the housing crisis in Wales.’