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Putting housing at the forefront of the Welsh parliament election
Much of the noise about the UK government’s Internal Markets Bill has fixed on breaches of international law, but there is potential threat to the autonomy of the Welsh government to set policy in housing. It’s one of the reasons housing needs to be at the forefront of the Welsh parliament election, argues Stuart Ropke
In Wales, the COVID-19 crisis has intensified once again.
The majority of the population across South Wales and four counties in the North are now subject to new local restrictions as the Welsh government battles to get a rising tide of case numbers under control. There has also been renewed debate on whether the election for the Welsh parliament due in May 2021 will need to be delayed.
While the furore about the UK government’s Internal Markets Bill has been firmly fixed on breaches of international law and Northern Ireland, we are having to focus on the potential threat to the autonomy of the Welsh Government to set policy in housing and other areas.
It is difficult to pin down the scale of the threat to devolved authority, but it seems undeniable to me that for the first time in 20 years of devolved government, Westminster is taking back control of many areas of policy rather than devolving power further. On top of that, the chancellor’s decision to cancel his Budget statement means that there is considerable uncertainty about the funding envelope which may be available beyond March 2021.
“The health crisis of 2020 that continues to threaten our way of life means that the word ‘home’ has never meant more”
Even though life may be surreal, the world keeps turning, and our focus has turned to ensuring that housing, and the role that housing associations play in Wales, is at the forefront of the thinking politicians and political parties are doing in advance of the Welsh parliament election.
The pandemic has provided us with a huge opportunity to make this happen.
The health crisis of 2020 that continues to threaten our way of life means that the word ‘home’ has never meant more. Not everyone has been lucky enough to have somewhere safe and secure to weather the storm. Somewhere which has adaptable space, with fast reliable digital connection to enable us to not only keep our jobs but to obtain new ones, too. Somewhere which is connected to high-quality outdoor space but also to each other as well. Where we live has never been more important to how we live.
The forthcoming election gives us an opportunity and a platform to sketch some big and bold ideas – underpinned by a simple one. A restatement of the ambition we set as our guiding star when we launched our ‘Housing Horizons’ vision three years ago: that Wales should be a nation where good housing is a basic right for all.
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There is already a vibrant debate underway about the type of country we want to be on the other side of the pandemic – we have been keen to join that debate albeit in a slightly different way. For too many people living in Wales, the ambition of having a good home remains out of reach.
We know that the biggest barriers in the way of achieving our vision cannot be demolished by housing associations alone. Actions on climate change, economic recovery, homelessness, health integration and connectivity will require the joint and co-ordinated activity of partners across the public, private and third sector.
Our ‘Influencing to Build a Better Future’ programme has sought to provide a space where that much-needed wider debate can take place. None of these issues are new. So what is it that will tip the scales towards lasting and sustainable change on the biggest issues we face as a nation?
Over the summer we were delighted to be joined by 80 colleagues from 60 public, private and third-sector organisations which shared a space with more than 200 representatives from our member housing associations to debate these issues in a series of challenge hacks and workshops.
“Actions on climate change, economic recovery, homelessness, health integration and connectivity will require the joint and co-ordinated activity of partners across the public, private and third sector”
The level of consensus about what would make a difference was astounding and has meant that we are hopeful that our campaigning work in the run up to the election will be delivered in partnership with a range of campaigning and other organisations.
But the main takeaway from those challenge sessions for me was that many of the solutions and changes that would turn the dial towards progress were within our gift, namely leadership, accountability, culture and behaviours. Of course policy levers such as funding and regulation will always remain really important, but how we do things feels equally crucial.
That is why for the 2021 election, our campaigning and lobbying activity will run in tandem with an innovation programme to unpick what we can practically do differently that would make every action that housing associations take have greater impact on individuals, families and communities.
At its heart, our election campaign has a simple ask of those who would wield power. Put home at the centre of your plans to support the people of Wales to live healthy, prosperous and connected lives.
You can find out more about our work here.
Stuart Ropke, chief executive, Community Housing Cymru
