Study finds 284,000 Welsh homes needed

The Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research report also uncovered a backlog of 9,500 households with unmet housing need.

Wales currently has a target of building 6,500 affordable homes by 2011, which was set out in the Essex Review of affordable housing in 2008. The Cambridge research worked out how many new homes will be needed between 2006 and 2026.

The study, which was commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government, found 183,000 of the 284,000 homes need to be for private rent or ownership, and 101,000 should be for social rent, right to buy, or for tenants on housing benefit.

Vikki Hiscocks, policy and public affairs manager at the Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru, said: ‘This new research sets out the scale of the task ahead of the housing sector in Wales in addressing the backlog of need and providing a housing system that is fit for purpose in the future.’

John Puzey, director of Shelter Cymru, said: ‘There is no magic bullet when it comes to meeting housing need in Wales, especially not in the current climate of public spending cuts, but as the consensus around the legislative competence order demonstrated, the housing sector in Wales can work together very effectively to develop solutions.’

A legislative competence order to transfer key powers over housing from Westminster to the Welsh assembly received royal assent yesterday.