Social Housing and Regeneration Debate at the National Eisteddfod

Community Housing Cymru held a successful debate at the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff  last week on the subject of Social Housing and Regeneration. The debate was chaired by the Archbishop of Wales Dr. Barry Morgan and the panel included Leighton Andrews, Deputy Minister for Regeneration, Dafydd Iwan, President of Plaid Cymru and Christine Humphries, President of the Welsh Liberal Democrats. The Welsh Conservative representative had to pull out due to unforeseen circumstances.

The Deputy Minister announced a £1m regeneration package to coincide with the debate and also pledged to further support the Welsh language in communities across Wales. A three year funding package for rural Communities First projects was also announced that will focus on areas of the Llyn Peninsula, Tregaron and the Dyfi Valley.

Dafydd Iwan said that there had a been a misuse of housing stock over the last few decades and that housing was vital for the Welsh language and the survival of rural and urban communities alike. He also said that housing should not be a way for builders to make huge profits with housing being a basic right for all people. He also spoke of the need for a mixture of affordable housing such as homes to rent, buy and shared ownership.

Christine Humphries welcomed the Essex report and called for the Government to implement the recommendations, highlighting the acute need in Wales as demonstrated by the numbers of households currently on social housing waiting lists.

Following the debate, Nick Bennett and the Archbishop of Wales signed an agreement between Community Housing Cymru and the Church in Wales recognising the importance of affordable housing for people and communities in Wales and pledging to work together in the future on affordable housing and other joint-interest issues.