7. Plaid Cymru Debate: Housing Policy

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:22 pm on 16 June 2021.

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Photo of Jane Dodds Jane Dodds Liberal Democrat 4:22, 16 June 2021

I'm just going to be very, very brief because I'm aware that there are other pressures, obviously, but I really just wanted to say a few words on housing. Many of us have some brilliant solutions, and we should be working together to make sure we bring those into a very clear coherent strategy.

I just want to touch on two things: the first is my real confusion here with the Conservative position that says on the one hand they want more social housing, and yet on the other hand, they want the right to buy. Because for me in my little brain, that means you're taking out housing from that social pool and you're not allowing local families to be able to access them. I really do think that people should be really clear that this is not a coherent strategy, and thankfully, for Wales, that is not the answer.

The second thing I want to comment on is the issue around second homes, which I know has been raised. This is so important and it's really urgent that we do something about this quickly. In Gwynedd, 10 per cent of the homes there are second homes. And if we see the way that second homes go across the swathe of coastal areas and the effect that that has on the communities and on our Welsh language as well, we need to do something very quickly. We don't know what that is; there is not one single bullet that actually leaves us in a better place. Is it about us not just doubling council tax, maybe making it tenfold, so that we use that money actually to give to young people and families for a deposit for a house? That could be one answer. That is really important that we look at it and we don't just dismiss it. Could it be that we look at the rate relief issue and we actually really look at something that really will resolve that? Could it be that we look at the position in our communities? And really, I want to see something that means that we listen to our communities, and we listen also to tourism, because we need to be clear that second homes and holiday homes do have an effect on our tourist and our hospitality industries.

I just want to finish with this and it is a plea to the Welsh Government: please do something urgent on second homes. Please bring together the agencies and the industries involved in it and let's get something that's really radical and progressive here in Wales. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr iawn.