- Cymraeg
- English
 |
Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
 |
Assembly Government's affordable housing target hits the buffers
September 10, 2008 12:00 AM
The Labour-Plaid Cymru One Wales Government's target of making 6,500 new affordable homes available by 2011 has hit the buffers already according to new figures obtained by Welsh Liberal Democrat Housing Spokesperson, Peter Black.
Mr. Black has tabled questions to the Housing Minister that reveal that in 2007-08, the first year of the Government's four year programme, only 348 new homes were built by housing associations and local councils. At the same time 67 existing affordable homes were demolished and 871 were sold off under the Right to Buy and Right to Acquire. The net effect is that there are now 590 less affordable homes to rent available in Wales than there were when the One Wales Government came to power.
The Government's figures do not allow for affordable homes built under planning gain by private developers as that information is not yet recorded. However research by Mr. Black has found that in the five years up to April 2007 local Councils only secured 1,816 new homes through this method, an average of 363 a year, with many not making any progress at all.
This suggests that at best about 700 new affordable homes were added to the housing stock in 2007-08, cancelled out by the removal of 938 due to sales and demolition. To reach their target the One Wales Government need to add on average 1,625 new affordable homes to the total stock each year.
"Instead of making progress towards solving the housing crisis the Labour-Plaid Cymru Government is actually going backwards," said Mr. Black. "It is right that this is their first year and that not all the mechanisms they need are in place, but things are moving so slowly it appears unlikely that they will have got their act together by the end of year two either. To catch up now the Government need to build over 2,000 new affordable homes a year and that is before demolitions and sales are taken into account."
"What is clear is that the target the Government has set itself of 6,500 new affordable homes by 2011 is unachievable. In fact that is part of the problem. The Minister is allowing her policy to be driven by targets and weak delivery plans instead of concentrating on putting in place the mechanisms that are needed locally to deal with the housing crisis affecting many families and individuals."
Ends
Note: Questions and Ministerial answers follow:
6th August 2008
(WAQ52327) Peter Black (South Wales West): How many affordable houses have been completed by (a) Local authorities (b) RSLs (c) via S.106 agreements and (d) other bodies in the financial year 2007-2008. (WAQ52327)
Jane Davidson: During 2007-08, there were 343 new dwellings completed by RSLs, and 5 completed by local authorities. Information on S.106 agreements and affordable homes completed by other bodies is not currently held centrally.
The data collected on affordable housing is currently being reviewed and it is planned that a more comprehensive set of data will be collected from April 2009, which will include some retrospective statistics.
6th August 2008
(WAQ52325) Peter Black (South Wales West) : How many homes were sold under the right to buy or right to acquire by (a) Local Authorities and (b) RSLs in the financial year 2007-2008. (WAQ52325)
Jane Davidson: During the financial year 2007-2008, there were 819 completed sales of local authority dwellings via the Right to Buy scheme. A total of 52 dwellings were sold by RSLs: 30 sold via Right to Buy and 22 by Right to Acquire.
3rd September 2008
(WAQ52435) Peter Black (South Wales West): How many homes were demolished by (a) Local authorities and (b) RSLs in the financial year 2007-2008. (WAQ52435)
Jane Davidson:
During the financial year 2007-08, 28 local authority dwellings were demolished and 39 RSL dwellings were demolished.
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats