20,000 affordable homes target to be exceeded by end of government term
Ar y trywydd i ragori ar y targed o 20,000 o gartrefi fforddiadwy erbyn diwedd tymor y Llywodraeth
The Welsh Government target to deliver 20,000 affordable homes by 2021 will be met – and exceeded – Housing Minister Julie James has announced.
With 12 months’ of official figures still to come, the latest statistics show just under 3,000 new affordable homes were delivered in the 2019-20 financial year bringing the total number of homes delivered to 19,000.
The figures released today highlight the Welsh Government has delivered the highest annual level of social homes since records began in 2008.
The next set of official statistics, which will confirm the 20,000 affordable homes target has been met, will be published in the autumn.
Operational data suggests this target will be exceeded by March.
Housing Minister Julie James said:
“I’m thrilled to say we will comfortably hit our affordable homes target this term. The increase in affordable housing is a direct result of our record investment in housing during this term.
“These are high-quality, energy efficient, warm homes, which have been built to last and, really importantly, are also affordable to run.
“The last year has been challenging for everyone and it is fantastic to see that despite the pandemic and the impact it has had on house builders and Registered Social Landlords, we have still been able to build much-needed affordable homes at pace and scale.
“Our own data tells us that we have hit and exceeded the 20,000 target.”
The Welsh Government has invested more than £2bn in housing across Wales this Senedd term, including £33m in the latest phase of the Innovative Housing Programme and more than £89m in the Social Housing Grant in 2020-21.
Funding will continue in the next financial year with more than £200m earmarked for building homes that people can afford to buy and live in.
The Minister added:
“Ensuring everyone in Wales can have a high-quality, affordable home is a top priority for this government and is key to our commitment of tackling and ending homelessness.
“Affordable, secure and quality housing is at the heart of any community – enabling people and families to flourish in all aspects of their lives. We will not stop at 20,000 and we will continue to deliver housing for those who need it.”
Joanna Davoile, director of development at Wales and West Housing, said:
“Having a comfortable, safe and genuinely affordable home is more important than ever. Wales and West Housing is committed to helping Welsh Government meet its target of building 20,000 affordable homes by the end of the current Senedd term.
“We plan to build 2,500 homes over the next five years and have more than 900 new homes already under construction across Wales.
“These include modern, energy-efficient homes in many Welsh local authority areas from Cardiff to Carmarthenshire, Conwy to Wrexham and across Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. We are building a mixture of family homes, apartments, extra-care accommodation and specialist supported living accommodation to meet the needs of local communities.
“Our affordable housing developments will support the local construction economy in Wales and create communities where our residents will be able to thrive.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
Notes
- Case study (below) available for interview on request.
- A further breakdown of today’s statistics will be available in March.
- Statistics can be found here:
- Today’s data release is the fourth year of data collected on the delivery of affordable homes, since the target to build 20,000 was set.
- Year four data was due to be released in November 2020 but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- Data for year five is due to be released in autumn 2021.
- Help to Buy-Wales statistics are included in the 19,000 figure. Further Help to Buy-Wales data for January to March 2021 is due to be released in in the Spring. This will contribute to the total number of affordable homes delivered.
- In excess of 20,000 affordable homes are expected to be delivered by March 2021. This takes account each of the statistical series that contribute to the target along with informal sector based intelligence on the delivery of affordable housing in the first half of 2020-21. Sector based intelligence from RSLs and local authorities is a key function of the Housing Pact in supporting the delivery of the 20,000 target. This allows Welsh Government to closely monitor progress in achieving the target.
- Properties included in the 20,000 figure include, newly built affordable homes, Help to Buy-Wales homes, Rent to Own homes, and homes purchased by local authorities or Housing Associations to be used as affordable housing.
Case Study: Sian
Sian and her partner Alex are already seeing the benefits of their new home on their special family.
Their six-year-old daughter Olivia was born with rare genetic condition called DDX3X Syndrome that affects her learning and development. She attends a special school and will need lifelong care. As a result, Sian and Alex had to give up their full-time careers to care for Olivia and have waited several years for a home that meets their daughter’s needs.
The family were one of the first to move into Wales and West Housing’s development of 14 eco-homes at Rhiw Cefn Gwlad, Brackla, Bridgend.
Sian, 38, said: “It's an amazing opportunity to live in a home that will significantly reduce our carbon footprint.
“Being a special family, we didn’t just want to move to a larger house with more space for Olivia's needs.
“There are so many things about our new home that will make a difference to all our family’s life.
“Having a wet room is going to mean a lot less manual handling for us and Olivia. We also have a garden that Liv can use and a parking space. The house is closer to Liv’s special school and hospital and in a quiet peaceful spot, which is better for all of us.
“The energy-saving technology is amazing too. We were paying £140 a month for energy in our old home, which is a good chunk of our monthly income, so we are looking forward to lower energy bills.
“Olivia is likely to be in nappies for the rest of her life and our washer and two dryers are always on so the chance to reduce our impact on the environment is really appealing. We want to protect our children's planet.”
“The last six years have been a rollercoaster. We experienced financial difficulties after Liv was born. We couldn’t afford to buy a bigger home. Our house couldn't be adapted to meet Liv's needs, so we were advised to join the housing register.
“After years of hoping, we now have our dream home.”