CHC publishes response to the Affordable Housing Review

Affordable housing review evidence shows greater flexibility and collaboration will enable Welsh housing associations to meet supply ambition.

We have now published our response to the Independent Review of Affordable Housing Supply in Wales’ Call for Evidence, insights from over 200 people who work in social housing in Wales.

The response reveals a number of barriers to meeting housing need, including the planning system, skills shortages and the current grant distribution model, and concludes that there is a need for greater flexibility and collaboration to enable the housing sector to deliver its twenty year supply target.

We have identified opportunities for housing associations to maximise their potential to deliver on the sector vision.

This includes a call for housing associations to be given greater flexibility in setting rents; greater collaboration to overcome skills shortages and extend financial capacity; public sector bodies to offer greater transparency on land availability and the potential for stock transfer organisations to build at least 3,000 extra homes through long term certainty over their funding.

Stuart Ropke, Chief Executive at Community Housing Cymru said:

“We called for the Review of Affordable Housing in Wales to build a policy environment which enables housing associations to deliver our ‘Housing Horizons’ vision of a Wales where good housing is a basic right for all, and we are delighted the Welsh Government has taken the bold step of commissioning the review.

“We are a sector with huge ambitions, but a number of challenges and barriers to overcome to deliver this. The sector response to the Independent Panel’s Call for Evidence shows it is absolutely vital we evolve and adapt the way we work, or risk embedding the housing crisis for future generations.

“Our recommendations aim to be constructive and ambitious, and offer genuine solutions. We hope if implemented, they will set us up to be even stronger and robust as a sector, so we can meet housing demand for housing, and build the high quality and affordable homes Wales needs.”

A number of organisations from across Wales have submitted evidence to the Independent Panel of the Affordable Housing Review, Chaired by Lynn Pamment, senior partner and Government and Public Services Lead at PWC.

In November, early conclusions from the evidence will be revealed at our Annual Conference, with final recommendations published in April.

Read the full response here.