3. Statement by the Minister for Housing and Local Government: The Innovative Housing Programme — Year 3

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:57 pm on 24 September 2019.

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Photo of Dawn Bowden Dawn Bowden Labour 3:57, 24 September 2019

Can I also welcome your statement, Minister? As you will probably be aware, last week, I welcomed the First Minister to the constituency and we visited one of those forward-thinking organisations that you referred to in your statement, Merthyr Valleys Homes. They were the first tenant and employee mutual in Wales and, as you know, one of the largest in the UK. It's a great example of social enterprise delivering significant benefits to the community, including, of course, the development of the Taf Fechan co-operative housing unit in Gellideg. 

Merthyr Valleys Homes explained to us the potential of modular methods of construction—and we've heard much about that this afternoon—both in renewing their stock and in providing new units to help housing needs. And they've already used the modular homes that we've talked about to provide low-cost affordable housing solutions. And I think, next week, you're coming up to meet them to look at their modular container homes, and I shall look forward to that. Incidentally, I think it's also worth saying at this point that they're taking on apprentices as well. So they're also developing local skills in the area.

So, Minister, I'm working on the assumption that you'll be looking at the experience and the innovation of organisations like Merthyr Valleys Homes and the type of innovative work that they've been involved in, and supporting that specific need across our Valleys communities will be part of your housing strategy and will sit within the housing strategy for the Valleys taskforce as well, so that we don't see this sitting separately from the work that the Valleys taskforce is doing. And in particular that it would look to help address the most difficult but common housing need, which is that of single units of housing. Both the housing associations in my constituency tell me that that in itself is the biggest challenge that they have in meeting housing need. So the question, really, is just about how all of that will fit together and deliver those particular objectives.