, Cabinet
Secretary for Housing and Local Government: Today I have
published a White Paper on Adequate
Housing, Fair Rents and Affordability for
consultation - fulfilling our
Programme for Government commitment. The development of
the White Paper was originally taken forward as part of the
previous Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru,
and I would like to put on record
my thanks to the Designated
Member, Siân Gwenllian MS, for
her engagement and contribution to its
development. I would also like to thank the Stakeholder
Advisory Group who have also contributed to
the development of the White Paper.
Ensuring everyone in Wales has a decent, affordable and safe
place to call home is a key ambition of this Government. The
principle that everyone has a right to an adequate home is one we
wholeheartedly support. I am proud of the progress we have
already made towards delivering housing adequacy for the people
of Wales - this includes improving housing quality and standards;
strengthening tenant's rights; delivering more social homes;
introducing broad measures to manage future numbers of second
homes; and transforming our approach to homelessness. We are also
building on these strong foundations, with continued significant
investment to deliver more social homes and are developing
ambitious and far-reaching legislation to support our ambition to
end homelessness.
The proposals in this White Paper set out further building blocks
in our progressive path towards achieving housing adequacy for
the people of Wales and has been informed by the evidence we
received to our Green Paper consultation last year. I am grateful
to everyone who took the time to respond to the consultation or
attend one of the consultation events. The responses and evidence
provided, highlighted the importance of properly defining housing
adequacy in a Welsh context and how it can be realised over time.
The White Paper therefore sets out proposals for the development
of a long term housing strategy to provide a clear and measurable
framework to support the delivery of housing adequacy for all.
These include:
- proposals to develop legislation in the next Senedd term, to
place a duty on Welsh Ministers to produce a housing strategy to
address housing adequacy, including provisions for monitoring,
reporting and review.
- consideration of placing a duty on defined public sector
bodies to have regard to the housing strategy in discharging
their housing functions.
The White Paper also sets out a number of proposals aimed at
improving affordability, habitability and accessibility in the
Private Rented Sector – all of which are key aspects of housing
adequacy. The proposals have also been informed by the Green
Paper consultation, which clearly showed a need to improve the
robustness of rent data as a first step to better understand the
local context and ensure effective targeting of potential future
policy interventions.
Proposals set out in the White Paper also include:
- proposals to improve rent data, including a requirement on
landlords/and or agents to provide rent data to Rent Smart Wales;
- the development of a spatial rent map to show local area rent
data;
- proposals on how to demonstrate a property is habitable;
- proposals to support people renting with pets;
- guidance around rent guarantors; and
- exploring the potential for Land Transaction Tax (‘LTT')
higher residential rates relief if properties are signed up to
the Welsh Government's Leasing Scheme Wales.
This White Paper is another significant step forward on our
progressive journey towards delivering housing adequacy for
everyone in Wales. We will continue to work with stakeholders in
taking forward the broad range of measures which encompasses
delivery of housing adequacy.
The consultation will run to 31 January 2025.
