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Review of Welsh affordable housing policy is a great opportunity

As the Welsh Government announces a review, Stuart Ropke explains how it could be fundamental to solving the housing crisis

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Wales affordable housing review a “great opportunity” for sector, @stuart_chc #ukhousing

Just six months ago I stood before hundreds of delegates at Community Housing Cymru’s annual conference and launched the sector’s 20-year vision: to make good housing a basic right for all in Wales.

I also revealed housing associations’ ambition to build 75,000 affordable homes in Wales by 2036. However to achieve these far-reaching aims we need the right partnerships, services and structures in place, so my speech ended with a call for the Welsh Government to conduct a Wales-wide review of affordable housing policy.

“Turbulent times present an opportunity to be creative, innovative and analytical.”

To some, having a 20-year vision may seem a little idealistic when there are so many issues to be dealt with today.

As I write, Brexit is looming closer and policies including Universal Credit continue to make the lives of the most vulnerable more difficult.

While there’s positive work happening to mitigate the impact of these issues, there are still a number of imminent challenges to solve.


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However, while turbulent times are difficult we can muster strength from them. They present an opportunity to be creative, innovative and analytical; to take a look at how we’re currently working and ask, “What would we do differently if we could start again with a blank sheet of paper?”

When consulting with Welsh housing associations and stakeholders to refine our Housing Horizons vision, they were very clear they wanted to do more to solve the housing crisis and establish a better future for Welsh people.

“Making good housing a basic right for all cannot be achieved without a full analysis of Welsh housing policy and how this is put into practice.”

In 2016 we signed a housing supply pact with the Welsh Government to build 12,500 homes by 2021, and we now have the ambition to double that rate by 2036. However, housing is much more than bricks and mortar; the whole life journey takes place in a home.

Good housing is also at the heart of strong, resilient communities and helps to build successful, solid, local economies.

So shouldn’t everybody experience a good-quality home? It’s a basic human right.

Delivering social housing will always be our core purpose – but through building warm, safe and genuinely affordable homes we can make communities become more prosperous, healthier and well-connected.

This aspiration is what drives us all to do more each day – from policy influencers to those on the frontline helping to better tenants’ lives.

However, making good housing a basic right for all cannot be achieved without a full analysis of Welsh housing policy and how this is put into practice.

Ten years ago, the Essex review of affordable housing in Wales laid the foundations for the successful housing associations we see today.

It is a growing sector that is well regulated, delivers on its promises and leverages public investment by attracting huge amounts of private finance into some of the most deprived communities in the country.

Last year housing associations in Wales contributed more than £1bn to the economy, of which 89% remained in Wales, delivered more than 2,300 affordable homes and provided jobs to over 9,100 people across Wales.

“We will be working closely with the independent review panel.”

We need to ensure housing associations continue to prosper in Wales and are well-equipped to deliver prosperity for all.

This review gives us an opportunity to examine a number of factors including partnership working, governance, development capacity, the long-term affordability of homes and the role of offsite manufacturing and modern methods of construction

At Community Housing Cymru we will be working closely with the independent review panel and Welsh Government to include members in this process, and consulting widely before submitting our own response.

Our priority is to establish the most effective policy environment to meet our affordable homes delivery ambition and build a solid foundation for current and future generations. If we get this review right, it will be a big step towards solving the housing crisis in Wales.

Stuart Ropke, chief executive, Community Housing Cymru

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