5. Will the First Minister make a statement on proposed social housing developments in this Assembly term? OAQ(5)0086(FM)

We continue to invest in social housing, which will be an important element of our target of 20,000 affordable homes in this term, and we are supporting both local authorities and housing associations in order to meet that target.

Can I first of all thank the First Minister for that response? I believe in the importance of social housing; I have many of my constituents on the council house waiting list at the moment. I also want to stress the importance of ending the right to buy so that councils are able to build again without the fear that those houses will be sold very, very quickly. Can some of the funding currently given to housing associations to build new properties be given to councils to support council house building?

I'm keen to avoid this being seen as a competition between local authorities and housing associations. They're both crucial to the delivery of our new target. We want to see, of course, more ambition from local authorities when it comes to house building. It is difficult, because local authorities were prevented from building houses for so many years. But we are working with both local authorities and housing associations to develop a delivery plan.

First Minister, a cap on housing benefit at local housing allowance rates will apply from April 2018, but only to tenancies signed after April 2016. This reform is better intended to align the rules in the private and the social rented sectors, but it will lead to prospective tenants experiencing further issues of affordability if they are in receipt of benefits or require welfare support in the future. This is something that Community Housing Cymru are very animated about at the moment. In light of the UK Government’s decision, what plans does the Welsh Government have to ensure that continued provision of supported housing for some of the most vulnerable people in society?

We want to ensure, of course, that those who are most vulnerable do not suffer as a result of decisions taken elsewhere. I know the Minister is actively looking at the current situation in order to mitigate any impact on those most vulnerable.

First Minister, while we all agree that more houses are needed in Wales, my constituents in communities like Penllergaer, Pontarddulais and Gorseinon are not persuaded that the council’s draft local development plan reflects the need for provision of the right houses in the right places, to reflect the needs of people during different times in their lives. So, can you confirm firstly that, in building council houses, local authorities will be bound in the same way as any developer to give strong due regard to the concerns of local residents about locations? And, secondly, what are you doing at the moment to help councils look forward to providing more homes for older people when they’re planning council house building in the future?

Councils, of course, will be planning according to the demographic change. We know that, historically—for many, many decades—houses were built on the basis that they were going to house families. We know that there are increasingly more and more people who are on their own. They’ve been hit hard by the bedroom tax, particularly in rural Wales, where one-bedroomed accommodation is hard to find outside towns. In relation to the first point, of course councils are bound by their own local development plan and they must abide by that plan, just as any other developer would.

First Minister, during questions to the Cabinet Secretary last month, I was able to highlight a report from Sheffield Hallam University, which identified the disproportionate adverse impact of Tory Government welfare benefits cuts on poorer communities, with particular reference to limiting the local housing benefit to the local housing rate. Another proposal under the new arrangements is to raise the threshold below which payment is made at the shared accommodation rate—i.e. that’s the lowest rate—from 25 years of age to 35 years of age, effectively making it more difficult, if not impossible, for younger people to afford social housing. Can I urge the First Minister, in any discussions with the UK Government on this issue, to caution against this change, which is already resulting in some Welsh social housing bodies questioning if they can continue to provide social housing for that age group?

It’s part of a theme where, the younger you are, the more you have to pay. If it comes to housing benefit, if it comes to access to housing, if it means getting your foot on the mortgage ladder, there’s never been a more difficult time. I had it easy in my generation, as did my parents, but now it’s much, much more difficult for young people. I think we have to make a point that more needs to be done to help young people to get into accommodation. That means not discriminating against them because of their age. We see it in the same way with the minimum wage. Surely if somebody does a job of work, they should be paid the same rate regardless of their age.