Welsh council releases ‘refreshed’ housing and homelessness support plan

The council’s report revealed that between 2020-21 and 2023-24, the number of households found to be homeless increased by 66% to 714 households.

There was a 108% increase in the number of people threatened with homelessness due to the loss of rented accommodation, while the number of households threatened with homelessness increased by more than 20% to 2,149 households.

The number of people waiting for social housing rose by 24% between November 2021 and November 2024 to 9,500. Social housing lets also reduced by 17% to 1,248.

Cardiff Council said it had “made significant progress against the key aims” of the existing 2022-26 strategy.

These included the delivery of 253 new council homes since January 2023, more than 150 new homes delivered in partnership with local social landlords, and a range of new permanent and supported housing for young people.

It also said a ‘landlord enquiry and tenants services’ team had been created to support private landlords, which enabled the council to deliver 93 affordable homes via the Leasing Scheme Wales.

The homelessness multi-disciplinary team has also been expanded to deliver services for people who experience repeated homelessness, while a young persons multi-disciplinary team has been established.

Waiting times for a homelessness prevention appointment were reduced from 36 working days in July 2022 to five working days in October 2024, the council said, with prevention services now available in community hubs across the city.

In 2023-24, 77% of households threatened with homelessness were prevented from becoming homeless.

Lynda Thorne, cabinet member for housing and communities at Cardiff Council, said: “There is a lot to be proud of in our housing and homelessness services. But despite this progress, we are still experiencing unprecedented demand and exceptional pressures.

“The figures in the report speak for themselves – they paint a picture of more people than ever before needing our help, driven by factors such as issues within the private rented sector in Cardiff and a rise in the number of prison leavers requiring support.”

She added that “even with new schemes like Ty Ephraim, Adams Court and the Gasworks, demand still outstrips supply”.

Shelter Cymru warned earlier this year that families in Wales face an increased risk of homelessness following the UK government’s decision to freeze housing benefit levels.

Cardiff and Vale Housing Partnership recently named Lovell Partnerships as its preferred bidder to work on a programme that aims to deliver at least 2,260 new homes over the next 10 years.

The partnership is between Cardiff Council and the Vale of Glamorgan Council. 

Sandra Perkes, cabinet member for public sector housing and tenant engagement at Vale of Glamorgan Council, said: “This represents the latest initiative in this area, part of our extensive council housebuilding programme that has seen a host of developments completed over the past few years, with others on the way.”