7. What assessment has the Minister made to ensure that the social housing letting policies of local government and housing partnerships across Wales are fit for purpose? OAQ53259

In a world where demand for social housing very much outstrips supply, it's essential that lettings policies reflect a fair and strategic approach to meeting housing needs. Local housing partnerships have a responsibility to make best use of available social housing and provide applicants with the widest choice of accommodation.

The process of registering for social housing can be complex, and once an individual is on the list, then, very often, the system that is used to decide who is allocated which house can lead to outcomes that are unfair. Gwynedd Council has just started a consultation and is considering a change from a points system to a banding system, which will give consideration to need, but also to local connections and links for prospective tenants. Do you believe that we need to create social housing systems that are more fit for purpose across Wales?

Yes, I'm very interested in the Gwynedd banding system. I believe they're out for a three-month consultation and trial and that the decision's in April. We'll be looking very closely to see how that works. Clearly, we want people in priority need to be housed, but Gwynedd's system is about enabling local people to be housed locally. So, I'm very interested in seeing where we can get the right balance between encouraging local people to stay local and being sure that people in priority need get their needs met. Very often, people have a very real need to be in the community that they feel part of. So, it's about the balance. I'd be very interested in how Gwynedd works that out and to see what we can do around looking at that across Wales.