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Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
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Increase in demand for social housing highlights need for urgent action
October 4, 2007 12:00 AM
The Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Communities, Housing and Social Justice, Peter Black, has called on the government to take action to deal with a crisis in the social rented housing sector after figures revealed a 5% increase in housing waiting lists since 2006.
Figures obtained by Peter Black show a total of 72,838 households are waiting to be re-housed in 19 of Wales 22 local authorities, compared to a total of 69,322 for 2006.
"These statistics show that despite the government and local authorities knowing that there is a crisis in social housing, they are not doing enough to fix the problem" said Mr Black. "Having over sixty nine thousand households on the waiting list last year should have been the wake up call that was needed, but for the figures to rise a further 5% in only a year suggest that this is not being taken seriously enough."
"Between 1999 and 2006 only there was a net increase of only 303 new social housing units for rent in Wales. In the same period 28,720 council houses were sold under the right to buy, effectively being removed from this market. It is no wonder that we have a growing crisis."
"The government needs to reverse this trend by investing heavily in new social housing quickly or the problem will escalate further. Waiting list figures will continue to rise as more property is sold under the right to buy and unsuitable housing is demolished."
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