Gwynedd votes to increase council tax on second homes to 150% to pay for tackling homeless crisis
Gwynedd Council has voted in favour of increasing the council tax for second homes to 150% in order to find the funds to tackle the homeless crisis in the county.
The increase will take place in April of next year, and comes after a public consultation.
37 members voted in favour and 21 were against in a full meeting of the Council.
The Cabinet decided that the premium on long-term empty houses should be kept at the current rate of 100%.
Welsh councils will have the right to increase the maximum council tax premium on houses of this type to up to 300% from April 2023 onwards, after changes introduced by the Welsh Government.
The Council’s Finance Cabinet Member, Councillor Ioan Thomas, recommended that any additional money that comes into the Council’s coffers as a result of the change be earmarked for tackling the homelessness crisis.
“We believe that the basis of a sound economy is an economy where the people of Gwynedd have homes and contribute,” he said.
“We can’t ignore a situation where it is estimated that 1,400 individuals will have presented themselves as homeless by the end of this year, double the number presenting before Covid-19.
“As a council, we will be accommodating over 600 people in temporary accommodation this year, where the figure was about 200 before Covid.”
According to the Council, there has been a 47% increase in the number of homeless people in Gwynedd over the last two years.
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At this stage, I don’t know if I think this is a good idea, or just me displaying schadenfreude. But like the idea
Da iawn Cyngor Gwynedd.
Hen bryd hefyd.
A oes gan Gyngor Gwynedd unhryw fwriad prynu rhai o’r ail dai hyn os dônt ar werth, naill ai i’w rhentu neu eu gwerthu ymlaen ar sail rhan-berchnogaeth? Fel arall byddant yn mynd ar y farchnad agored, i’w prynu gan bwy bynnag, ac mae llawer o honynt y tu hwnt i’r hyn all brodorion ei fforddio. Gallant hefyd gael eu troi yn llety gwyliau. Yma yn ardal Ffestiniog, mae’r lleihad a welwyd yn nifer yr ail dai ers cyflwyno’r dreth ddwbol wedi cyfateb bron yn union i’r cynnydd mewn tai air bnb a llety gwyliau. Rhaid gofyn felly, faint o… Read more »