The Discretionary Housing Payment Budget

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Climate Change – in the Senedd at 2:11 pm on 14 July 2021.

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Photo of Julie James Julie James Labour 2:11, 14 July 2021

Thank you very much for that very important question. I'm pleased to say that when we negotiated a five-year rent agreement with social housing providers across Wales, both councils and registered social landlords, we negotiated a 'no eviction into homelessness' pledge from them, as a result of the rental increase, and that has helped. So, we will have no evictions from social housing into homelessness in Wales. That does not mean people cannot be evicted from the specific flat they're in if there are issues around domestic abuse or anti-social behaviour, but it means that the housing needs of those people need to be addressed before they are evicted and moved on to other premises. I'm really pleased that we were able to do that. I'm very happy to work with private rented sector landlords to take their housing into social rent so that we can improve both the quality of the stock and the experience of the tenants, and provide the private sector landlord with a good, reliable, stable income through the five to 10 years that we take the house over. I recommend that scheme as well to many of our really good private rented sector landlords who'd be very happy to help.