Pact to provide housing for vulnerable

A GROUND-BREAKING affordable housing deal signed on Thursday will change the lives of tens of thousands of Welsh people, including some of the poorest and most vulnerable in Wales.

In a five-year agreement, the Welsh Government and official bodies representing housing associations and councils will sign a pact to work together on delivering a target of 20,000 new affordable homes.

Housing associations have committed to delivering at least 12,500 of these new homes – a big increase on previous years – while many local authorities will be delivering a significant number of new homes for the first time in years.

The Housing Supply Pact also promises to create thousands of training and employment opportunities as well as apprenticeships by 2021.

“It was unveiled at the annual conference in Cardiff of Community Housing Cymru, the umbrella body for housing associations.

The Minister for Communities and Children, Carl Sargeant, also used his speech to announce a substantial boost to this year’s budget for new affordable homes by making extra money available through grant aid.

He said: “The original Social Housing Grant (SHG) Programme budget for this year was £68m.

“The additional £30m I am announcing today will take this programme’s budget to almost £100m.

“We plan to invest over £1.5bn in affordable homes during this term of government.

“Continued support for social housing is crucial. Business as usual is not an option but tried and tested schemes including the SHG Programme and Housing Finance Grant will play a key role in delivering affordable homes and assisting the most vulnerable to access and keep their housing.”

Mr Sargeant added that it is important to look beyond the numbers and show ambition in the design and quality of the homes being built.

“I want the sector to support the development and delivery of new types of homes that meet not only current demands and needs, but also those of the future,” he said.

“This includes the use of innovative methods.

“It also includes action to meet the challenges of fuel poverty and our carbon reduction targets.”

Mr Sargeant said: “Building homes delivers important benefits beyond simply putting a roof over people’s heads.

“Delivering new homes for Wales is at the heart of my ambition for the new Assembly term.” building