With perhaps the most consequential election in Wales since devolution little more than three months away, the Winter issue of WHQ looks in depth at the prospects for the next Welsh Government.
We hear first from all six main parties about what they think are the most important issues and what their priorities might be if they win power on May 7. It’s still too early for the detail in the manifestos but the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Welsh Conservatives, Wales Green Party, Welsh Labour, Plaid Cymru and Reform Wales give us a preview of what they will be talking about during the campaign. From housebuilding to homelessness, retrofit to rent control and social housing to first-time buyers to the right to adequate housing, the six parties have plenty to say.
An independent view comes from Bob Smith, who reprises work he did for the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence ahead of the last Senedd election. He analyses the record of the Welsh Government over the last five years and then looks at what is required to develop a comprehensive and shared strategic vision for housing in Wales.
The main Welsh housing organisations have all been developing manifestos of their own over the last few weeks. We hear from eight of them about what they want from the next Welsh Government and from Shelter Cymru about what polling suggests about how the housing emergency will influence where the electorate place their votes.
Elsewhere in this issue, we celebrate three birthdays: it’s a 20th for Tai Pawb as the national voice for equality in housing, a 10th for Rent Smart Wales as the single authority for the registration and licensing scheme for the private rented sector and a first for Tai ar y Cyd as a collaborative project to develop affordable, low carbon homes. Many happy returns to them all.
Robin Staines stood down from Welsh Government’s Local Authority Development Programme in December. He reflects on the development of housing policy since devolution and has 10 suggestions about what needs to happen next.
Damp and mould are even closer to the top of the housing agenda in the wake of a new addendum to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard. We hear from Michelle Morris on the ombudsman’s work in this area and from Duncan Forbes on a change in mindset and culture at Trivallis.
Damian Joseph Bridgeman challenges Wales to live up to its values when it comes to disability housing. And you can discover more about devolved property taxes from Wendy Dearden and about ways to unlock affordable housing development from Sarah MacGregor and Caroline Jones.
We hope that all this, plus our regular updates on policy, finance and housing support and from Senedd research, make this an issue with something for everyone working in housing in Wales.
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