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More than 50% think Welsh social housing has high crime levels
More than 50% of people in Wales believe that social housing estates have high levels of anti-social behaviour and crime, a new survey has found.
The survey, conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru (CIH Cymru), highlights mixed perceptions of social housing in Wales.
People living in social housing were far more likely to have a favourable view of the tenure than homeowners.
Seven in 10 social housing tenants (69%) said they would be happy to see more social housing built near their homes, compared to just 26% of owner-occupiers.
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A quarter of those surveyed perceived social housing as being low quality – with 37% of private renters holding this view but only 18% of social housing residents.
Housing and homelessness ranked as the fifth most important area of public policy among those polled, after Brexit, health, immigration and asylum and the economy.
Three in five people (60%) said it was the Welsh Government’s responsibility to provide a decent home for every citizen regardless of income, while 72% felt people sleeping rough should be given housing help.
Matthew Dicks, director of CIH Cymru, said: “It is really encouraging that the Welsh public have shown their support for addressing the housing crisis in Wales.
“Despite some of the negative stereotypes, people who live in social housing have a positive experience of their home and this is something the sector should celebrate.
“We think this shows the advancements in quality, and innovation to deliver homes at the cutting edge of design and technology and the positive resonance with tenants.”
CIH Cymru will launch the report at its annual conference in Cardiff today.
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It is the first piece of work completed through the body’s Tyfu Tai Cymru project, a five-year programme aimed at gathering new evidence to support housing policy in Wales.
“This is very valuable new evidence about attitudes to social housing in Wales,” said Roger Awan-Scully, a professor at the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, who carried out the analysis of the survey data.
“For me, one of the most fascinating aspects of the findings is how they show that direct personal experience of social housing leads you to have much more positive attitudes towards it.”
The survey questioned 1,015 Welsh adults on their thoughts on social housing, homelessness and public policy in March.
Professor Awan-Scully’s report is attached.
