North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has today criticised the Welsh Government for failing to listen to warnings of a housing crisis two decades ago and challenged the Housing Secretary over the Welsh Government’s target for new low-carbon homes for social rent.
Responding to yesterday's Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government on Affordable Housing, Mr Isherwood expressed concern that the figures for delivery against the target presented in her Statement are misleading.
He said:
"Two decades ago, the Welsh Government dismissed warnings that there would be a housing crisis, warnings by the sector and myself in this Chamber, and it carried on with its cuts to social housing accordingly. Given that your figures still fall short of your inadequate target by 1,350 homes, and the concerns expressed by the Chartered Institute of Housing in Wales regarding this, your Statement today that this is the ‘highest delivery of social housing in Wales in nearly two decades’ is therefore an admission of long-term failure.
"You only set a target to deliver 20,000 new low-carbon homes for social rent this Senedd term, and you now say you're forecast to have delivered 18,652 low-carbon homes for rent within the social sector.
"Given that you have inflated this by adding homes that are not new builds, not low carbon and not for social rent, including homes for intermediate rent and shared ownership, as identified by Audit Wales, why should you not be accused of deliberate deception in your Statement today?"
In her response, the Cabinet Secretary said:
"I would just like to say that this was a stretching target that we set right at the start of the Senedd term".
