Working together to deliver a place called home

CIH Cymru congratulates Vaughan Gething on his election as first minister of Wales. We look forward to working with the new first minister and his minister for housing as they look to deliver their manifesto aim of delivering a “place called home” as part of their vision for a fairer future for Wales. We welcome the commitment to deliver more social homes, tackling the housing crisis in Wales including tackling homelessness. It is also encouraging to see an ongoing commitment to retrofitting our existing homes as part of meeting net zero and ensuring that net zero skills are developed to help meet this ambition.

Yet despite these positives, we believe that now is the time to go further by making housing the foundational mission for government essential to delivering an equitable Wales, a Wales where everyone can access a safe, affordable, and sustainable home. Our five point plan for housing sets out how this can be achieved:

• Enshrine the right to adequate housing into Welsh law
• An ongoing commitment to long term capital investment to build more affordable homes and retrofit existing ones
• Support growing skills needed through a sector workforce strategy
• Develop a clear vision and strategy for the private rented sector
• Address social housing stigma and promote the positive impact of diverse communities.

We believe that now is the time for government to be ambitious and make housing the foundational mission to deliver an equitable Wales mirroring the vision of the new fist minister for a fairer future for Wales. 

Matt Dicks, national director of CIH Cymru commented on the appointment of Vaughan Gething as first minster:

“I would like to extend my congratulations to Vaughan Gething on his election as first minister of Wales. I look forward to continuing our collaborative relationship with Welsh government. However, whilst the overarching vision of the first minister for a fairer future for Wales is welcomed, now is the time to be ambitious by making housing the foundational mission for government, by legislating for the progressive realisation of the right to adequate housing in Wales. This right will not only provide a route map to a safe, sustainable, and affordable home for the people of Wales it will also improve health and wellbeing outcomes. Enshrining the right to adequate housing can only benefit and help deliver an equitable Wales. A Wales where everyone has enough money to live on. A Wales where everyone can afford the essentials. A Wales where child poverty is eradicated. A Wales where everyone can access a safe, affordable, and sustainable home.”