An influential Senedd committee has called for greater investment in social housing and the creation of a national development corporation to speed up housebuilding by buying land and planning housing across Wales.
A report from the Local Government and Housing Committee published today finds that local authorities and housing associations will struggle to build the number of homes required and a new development corporation that could help them work on much larger sites.
Evidence to the committee showed that countries such as Denmark and Canada use development corporations and it says that Wales should aim to learn from these successful examples.
The committee is calling on the Welsh Government to increase the amount spent on social housing to build 60,000 more homes, with the ultimate aim that 20 per cent of Wales’ housing stock falls into this category, up from 16 per cent today.
The report also says that the Development Bank of Wales, a body funded by Welsh Government that finances businesses, should become a direct funder of social housing developments, potentially offering more favourable terms to those currently offered to social landlords by private investors.
The committee heard that social housing has long waiting lists for people needing different types of accommodation and that the type of properties available are often not the sort needed.
Many are two- or three-bedroom homes, which are prioritised for families, meaning that people needing one-bedroom properties are stuck on waiting lists for longer.
The committee is urging the Welsh Government to work with local authorities and housing associations to make sure that enough one-bedroom homes are being built to reduce the pressure on waiting lists.
Organisations such as the Planning Officers Society Wales and the Chartered Institute for Housing Cymru told the committee that there is a ‘massive demand’ for one-bedroom accommodation.
The report says councils and housing associations should acquire existing one-bedroom properties, build on vacant land near housing developments, remodel bigger houses into smaller houses, and also bring flats above high street shops back into use.
The committee said it was concerned that Welsh Government’s target of 20,000 new social homes by 2026 will not be met and, even if it is, will not be enough to meet demand.
Committee chair John Griffiths MS said: ‘Today’s report shows that the Welsh Government has a long way to go if they are to reach their target of 20,000 new homes by 2026.
‘A crucial part of delivering this is ensuring that there is a suitable mix of homes being built which must include more one-bedroom properties. The Welsh Government must work with local authorities and housing associations to make sure that this message gets through.
‘The Welsh Government needs to look at all the options at its disposal to tackle this problem. Empowering the Development Bank of Wales to become a direct funder of social housing developments is one way to boost the number of homes being built.
‘If we want to get to grips with the housing crisis then we have to build more social housing urgently – before the waiting lists get even longer.’