The CHC policy and external affairs team reflect on the last year.
The last 12 months have presented the housing sector with a wide breadth of challenges and opportunities. Last January, we continued making significant changes in response to the pandemic and there was a Senedd election looming, where housing was always going to be at the heart of campaign trails from across the political spectrum.
As we enter 2022, the new Senedd government is bedding in, and while Covid-19 continues to deliver uncertainty for the months ahead, we have to remain focused on tackling the housing crisis. We are in a solid position to do this, but will need continued support from Welsh government to ensure that we do not falter and that pressures – such as those on supply chains – are weathered.
The targets set out in 2021 are clear: We have 20,000 social homes to build up and down the country, from Chepstow to Caernarfon, Milford Haven to Mold. And these homes need to be affordable, secure and net-zero. To preserve the legacy of COP26, decarbonisation and money saving initiatives for residents are rightly prioritised. But these won’t be possible without properly addressing inequalities, and preventing poverty and homelessness.
To review the past year, as well as highlight what’s to come, we have released some fantastic videos, where members of our policy and external affairs team expertly analyse what’s taken place and how the housing sector has an important role to play:
- Bethan Proctor on decarbonisation
- Bryony Haynes on homelessness
- Sarah Scotcher on health inequalities
- Laura Courtney on affordable housing
Watch the videos here: https://bit.ly/3GJVqPd