‘Back the Bill’ responds to the White Paper on adequate housing

More than three-quarters (77 per cent) of people in Wales supported a legal right to housing in research carried out in 2020.  

The publication of today’s White Paper on securing a path towards adequate housing contains some positive steps forward. However, it falls short of fundamental change and ambition which can only be delivered through hard-wiring a legal commitment to providing housing as a human right.  

The current housing emergency – with record numbers in temporary accommodation, on social housing waiting lists and in poor quality housing – necessitates a radical solution. We believe that a rights-based approach, underpinned by legislation, would act as a catalyst for positive change, bringing about additional resource and greater accountability. 

As we continue to digest the detailed content of the White Paper in the coming days, we are committed to ongoing dialogue with partners and stakeholders, including Welsh Government, to help build a Wales where, over time, everyone can have a home that is safe, secure, suitable and one that they can afford.

‘Back the Bill’ is a campaign partnership made up of Tai Pawb, CIH Cymru and Shelter Cymru.