A group of experts has urged Welsh Government to follow a series of recommendations to improve the delivery of affordable housing.
The Affordable Homes Taskforce was set up by housing secretary Jayne Bryant in October. Chaired by Lee Waters MS and with members drawn from across the housing sector, it was asked to focus both on short-term challenges to meet the Welsh Government target of 20,000 homes for social rent by the end of this Senedd term and system changes to streamline delivery.
Lee Waters said: ‘We did not find evidence of any quick fixes but there are a wide range of practical changes that can be made to speed up delivery of affordable housing by both the market and non-market routes.’
The report published on Thursday addresses local leadership, with councils urged to prioritise applications for new affordable homes and allocate a senior officer to each project, and system leadership, with local authorities and housing associations urged to work together as partners to address local priorities.
The taskforce also highlights the tensions between new development and improvements to the existing stock.
These include both WHQS 2023 and the electrical installation condition report case. The taskforce says the first ‘is a policy tension that Ministers will be considering and any trade-off should be acknowledged’ and the second ‘will continue to create significant uncertainty for all parties and may be resulting in greater caution on future investments’.
The report also calls for streamlining of the planning process, with greater use of standardised agreements on technical standards and viability appraisals and more consistency on Section 106 agreements.
In the short term, the taskforce says that stronger leadership and better coordination are key to progress on delayed schemes and urges action on empty homes, with Welsh Government ‘reviewing the efficacy of current funds and approaches to bringing empty properties back into use’.
Problems with existing social homes that are unoccupied and considered void could be tackled with funding from the Transitional Accommodation Capital Programme in the same way as for acquisitions and should count towards the 20,000 target.
In the medium term Welsh Government should act on planning and the release of public land, including for short-term meanwhile use.
The taskforce says that permitted development rights, which currently only allow developments to exist for one year without full planning approval, ‘should be extended to seven years given the complexity of site development’
Welsh Government should also explore the potential for revenue from second homes tax to be earmarked for affordable homes via Housing Revenue Accounts.
In the longer term, the taskforce says action is needed on the Local Development Plan process to bring forward land with planning permission more quickly.
The report says that: ‘Land identified as suitable for housing in the Local Development Plan should have a presumption towards development. This change to enable a ‘Permission in Principle’ will require primary legislation and needs to be co-produced with local authorities.’
Other recommendations cover finance, with changes to ease restrictions and give the Development Bank Wales a greater role in funding social housing, and skills, with the housing sector urged to do more to engage with young people and learn from best practice.
Housing secretary Jayne Bryant said: ‘The First Minister has been clear that delivering more social homes for rent is one of this government’s key priorities. That’s because social housing reduces poverty, improves health, and boosts economic growth. We’re driving this ambitious agenda forward with record levels of delivery and investment – but I’m determined to ensure no stone is left unturned.
‘The work of the Taskforce provides a valuable opportunity to do more, faster. The Taskforce met regularly, engaging extensively with the sector to bring these recommendations forward as quickly as possible. Their work is a reminder that, across Wales, our partners in delivery are eager to work collaboratively to unlock barriers and deliver even more affordable homes for people across Wales.’