Waiting Lists for Social Housing

Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Housing and Local Government – in the Senedd at 2:24 pm on 4 March 2020.

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Photo of Siân Gwenllian Siân Gwenllian Plaid Cymru 2:24, 4 March 2020

(Translated)

It's astonishing that you don't have, as a Government, detailed national data on the number of people who are waiting for social housing in Wales. Given that this is one of your priorities, namely, providing more social housing, how are you monitoring that your policies are effective if you don't know exactly what is the position? In Arfon, I know that there are too many people waiting for social housing. They are in inappropriate homes. They're too small for the requirements of their families. They're damp and costly in terms of bills, or people are relying on the goodwill of their families and friends. Or, of course, they have to live on the street because there isn't enough social housing.

Gwynedd Council, I know, has innovative plans to build more social housing to meet the need locally, but I ask you again: how can you provide enough homes if you don't know what 'enough' means because the data isn't available?