Jane Bryant MS
Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, Welsh GovernmentTwenty-five years after devolution, Wales is a beacon for innovative solutions to housing challenges. The landmark Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 has transformed how Welsh public bodies approach long-term planning, creating ripple effects across housing policy and infrastructure development.
The Act requires public bodies to consider long-term impacts of decisions – including in housing – and this “Team Wales” approach is delivering results.
As Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, I have placed delivering homes at the forefront of our agenda. The focus isn’t merely on numbers, but on creating greener, more affordable and higher-quality housing stock across Wales.
Social housing forms the cornerstone of this strategy. The Welsh Government’s Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation Bill represents a decisive shift toward early intervention and prevention rather than crisis management. This legislation aims to fundamentally transform the homelessness system in Wales, driving forward our long-term ambition to end homelessness in Wales.
We’re not afraid to be bold when it comes to housing, with a target of delivering 20,000 low-carbon homes for rent in the social sector. This is the most ambitious housing target in our nation’s history, and the Government is backing it with nearly £2 billion over this Senedd term. This includes an £81 million boost to the Social Housing Grant which created a record £411 million annual housing budget for this financial year.
Despite global economic turbulence driving up costs and disrupting supply chains, we are making strong and tangible progress, working to ensure more families and individuals have access to the homes they need. Nearly 9,000 additional social sector rental homes have been delivered in just three years—a pace unprecedented since records began in 2007. That’s a record level of investment to drive record delivery.
Local empowerment is also a cornerstone of the Welsh approach. Rather than centralised solutions, Local Authorities conduct Housing Market Assessments that recognise the diverse needs of their communities. This granular understanding ensures new developments match local requirements rather than arbitrary targets.
Each community has its own housing priorities. Rural Wales presents unique challenges, with income-to-house price ratios that push homeownership beyond reach for many local residents. The Welsh Government’s Rural Housing Enablers programme addresses this by uncovering hidden housing need by working directly with those communities. Community-led housing initiatives receive support through the Cwmpas Communities Creating Homes project—recognition that solutions must emerge from communities themselves rather than being imposed from above.
We’re also helping people to stay in their homes. Rising interest rates and rental costs have intensified affordability concerns across all housing tenures, putting pressure on those who face the greatest challenge from cost-of-living increases. The Help to Stay-Wales scheme offers breathing space to homeowners at risk of repossession, while the extended Help to Buy-Wales programme has already supported over 14,500 home purchases, with first-time buyers accounting for 84 per cent of participants since April 2022.
The Welsh Government has taken decisive action on second homes and holiday lets—complex issues in many Welsh communities. Local Authorities can now apply council tax premiums up to 300 per cent on second homes and long-term empty properties, creating a powerful financial disincentive for properties that sit empty while locals struggle to find homes.
We’re also working tirelessly to dismantle any barriers to boosting our housing supply in Wales. Last year, I established an Affordable Housing Taskforce which has already reported recommendations for accelerating housing delivery, with an Implementation Group being set up to enact changes swiftly.
“Infrastructure investment forms the final piece of this complex puzzle”
The planning system is undergoing reform, too. My colleague Rebecca Evans, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, has consulted on full cost recovery for planning applications. These could allow Local Authorities to reinvest in planning departments, creating a virtuous cycle of improved efficiency and shorter development timelines.
Infrastructure investment forms the final piece of this complex puzzle. The recent UK Government Spending Review shows what can be achieved when governments work together, unlocking significant additional funding for Welsh infrastructure, while the Welsh Government’s Infrastructure Investment Strategy allocates over £3 billion annually to support development.
These interconnected policies represent a distinctively Welsh approach to housing—one that balances ambitious delivery targets with community empowerment and environmental responsibility, focusing on what matters most to people across Wales.
My focus is clear – delivering more homes for people right across Wales, shoring up our supply of good-quality and affordable housing for the next twenty-five years of devolution and beyond.
