Housing one of top issues for 2026 Senedd election – new research

Housing is set to be one of the key issues of the 2026 Senedd election, according to new polling which shows that nearly a quarter of voters in Wales rank it among their top three concerns.

The research, commissioned by housing charity Shelter Cymru and conducted by YouGov, reveals that 23% of all adults in Wales see housing as one of the most important issues influencing how they will vote next May — making it joint third overall.

The findings come amid what campaigners describe as an “acute housing emergency”, marked by record homelessness, soaring private rents, and a chronic shortage of social housing.

More than 10,000 people, including 2,500 children, are currently living in temporary accommodation across Wales — a number that continues to rise.

Emergency housing

Local authorities spend almost £100 million per year on providing emergency housing, while many families remain stuck in cramped or unsuitable spaces.

Shelter Cymru says this crisis is shaping voter priorities across the political spectrum.

Support for stronger housing policies is high among backers of all major parties, with 26% of voters intending to support Reform UK or Plaid Cymru ranking housing among their top concerns.

Among private renters, 44% of respondents said housing would be one of the main factors influencing their vote — far ahead of transport, which ranked fourth at 23%.

Asked what measures they most wanted to see, voters identified building more social and council homes as the leading priority (37%), followed by support for first-time buyers and controls to limit rent increases. Nearly a third (31%) said rent regulation should be part of the next Welsh Government’s housing agenda.

Public demand

Shelter Cymru’s Chief Executive Ruth Power said the polling reflected a growing public demand for decisive action. She said: “This polling tells us what we already know — that housing and homelessness must be at the heart of the next election,” she said. “People are trapped in inadequate temporary accommodation because we’ve failed for decades to provide safe, secure and affordable homes.”

She called on all political parties to commit to ending the housing emergency, invest in new social housing, make the private rented sector fairer for tenants, and create a homelessness system focused on prevention and people’s long-term wellbeing.

“Now is the time to deliver the change Wales clearly needs — and wants,” she added.