Campaigners call on Welsh government to tackle second homes crisis in Pembrokeshire

200 people came together on Parrog beach in Pembrokeshire today to call on the Welsh Government to tackle the second homes crisis in Wales.

The rally called on the Welsh Government to “treat the housing crisis as a real crisis” and not to “just conduct a consultation to discuss the issue”.

Heledd Evans from Trewyddel told S4C that she had been unable to buy a house in her community.

“After I got a job and so on I want to buy a house in the near future, but things are looking pretty uncertain at the moment in terms of housing availability,” she told S4C’s program.

“Once they are on the market they go straight away for prices that are out of my reach.”

“Unwaith ma’ nhw ar y farchnad ma’ nhw’n mynd yn syth a mynd am brisiau sy’ allan o’n nghyrraedd i.”

Fe ddaeth 150 o bobl ynghyd yn Nhrefdraeth yn sgil pryder am argyfwng tai yn Sir Benfro.

Mwy yma ➡️ https://t.co/AwhjC6M37s pic.twitter.com/tFvwStwl7G

— Newyddion S4C (@NewyddionS4C) October 23, 2021

Hedd Ladd-Lewis, one of the organizers, said he had decided to organise the protest in order to get to grips with the housing problem in the area.

“I grew up in Trefdraeth and the town has changed completely,” he said.

“There is grave concern about the future of Welsh as a community language as house prices deprive local people of the right and ability to live in their communities and as more houses are bought as second homes and AirBnBs.

“There is more rent poverty as families have to pay unreasonable rent in the private sector, and which local person can afford to pay £400,000 for a terraced house? So what will the future of primary school be? We’ve seen what has happened in Abersoch recently.

“The average house in the county is £227,000, but three-bedroom houses sell for almost £400,000 in areas such as Trefdraeth.

“As the county’s average wage is £26,466 it is very difficult for local people, especially young people, to buy a house to live locally.”