Local government candidates urged to ‘Think Housing’

CIH Cymru has a clear message for candidates ahead of the local government election in May – Think housing. As part of its ‘Local Homes, Local Delivery’ work, CIH Cymru calls on candidates to champion five pledges both in the run-up to and beyond the election.

The pledges include:

• Prioritising social housing – Linked to the achievement of the 20,000 low-carbon social housing target where local authorities have a leading role in developing new homes, increasing the supply of land and rejuvenating local economies.
• Take action on empty homes – Calling on local authorities to further dedicate additional staff expertise to the area, create recyclable funding, and progress community-led approaches.
• Maintain momentum in addressing homelessness – Recognising the huge role every local authority has played in supporting the effort throughout the pandemic, calling on a long-term view to commissioning services and emphasising trauma-informed approaches.
• Place housing at the forefront of climate action – Considering the position, local authorities occupy in supporting sustainable development, a carbon-neutral approach to public services, and enabling society to address the effects of climate change jointly.
• Invest in the local authority housing workforce – Calling on local authorities to recognise the contribution of and invest further in housing professionals working within the local government whose combined activity impacts house building, housing standards and safety and homelessness prevention.

Matt Kennedy  |  policy and public affairs manager, CIH Cymru

We’re asking candidates to support a clear, simple message – in your electioneering efforts, and whatever comes after the election – Think Housing. We know that those elected to the local government already have a strong affinity with the work of the sector, given that housing forms the basis or is, in fact a focal point of what people talk to them about daily. Whilst we recognise not everything is in the power or control of local government members as they make decisions about how to plan and allocate resources, we believe that our five pledges are timely reminders of the potential impact they can have in ensuring that the work of the sector, and in particular local authorities, is harnessed to best effect in addressing the housing crisis in Wales.