Charity calls for urgent action to resolve social housing crisis in Wales

A leading homelessness charity is calling for immediate action to address the critical shortage of social homes in Wales.

Shelter Cymru’s intervention comes as new Freedom of Information (FOI) data shows that more than 94,000 households—representing approximately 170,000 people, including 45,000 children —are currently on waiting lists for social homes.

The charity says that this data, gathered from council statistic across Wales, underscores the urgency of the housing emergency and the devastating impact it has on individuals and families in housing need.

Despite the clear need for social homes, last year, only 2,600 social homes were delivered by councils across Wales.

Single-parent families

Shelter Cymru’s FOI data also shows that single-parent families are disproportionately represented on waiting lists for a social housing.

“These new figures are a wake-up call,” said Ruth Power, CEO of Shelter Cymru “It is unacceptable that more than 94,000 households are forced to wait years for a place they can call home. We must confront the reality that as a nation we are failing to meet the needs of our communities.

“Investing in social homes is a moral obligation; it is an investment in a stable foundation for people’s lives, health and futures. But it’s also a practical solution to a pressing problem. If we don’t deliver more social homes, it will ramp up the financial pressures on local authorities that are already struggling to cope with local demand for social homes.  We need to step up our response to the housing emergency in Wales and increase investment to ensure that everyone has access to the basic foundations of a settled home they can afford.”

Investment

The charity says there must be increased investment from the Welsh Government to deliver the social homes, through construction or acquisition, needed in Wales.

It also urges the development of a clear strategy that sets out the role of social homes in the wider housing system and the range of measures that will be taken to ensure the homes needed are delivered at pace.

Shelter Cymru is also working with the Bevan Foundation to highlight the impact of a lack of social homes in Wales and the changes needed to deliver more. A recent joint report from the two organisations sets out how we can boost the supply of social homes and can be found here.