Written question WQ83946

Whilst our 20,000 new, low carbon, homes target for this term of government focusses on social housing, we recognise that there is also a continued need for market housing. Our central housing need estimates show that 7,400 additional homes are required each year in Wales, including 3,900 market homes. We are committed to ensuring that new housing meets the needs of all members of society. This will require an appropriate mix of affordable and market homes for our communities based on local needs.

The Welsh Government’s planning policy, in Planning Policy Wales and Future Wales, requires local planning authorities to identify deliverable housing land within their development plans to ensure this delivers new homes on the ground to meet the identified housing requirement.

Planning Policy Wales includes a number of policies to increase the delivery of market and affordable housing in the context of place-making and creating sustainable communities. It requires local planning authorities to ensure the delivery of high quality new homes in the right locations to meet their requirement for housing. Future Wales, the first national plan which lays out a vision for development in Wales to 2040, sets out our priorities for growth.

Our New House Building statistical release provides data on the number of dwellings started and completed in Wales. There are, however, caveats which need to be taken into account with this data and the Welsh Government’s Knowledge and Analytical Services believes the gaps in the data sets may lead to an undercount. There are similar caveats in UK wide statistical publications. Due to the impact of Covid-19 on resources, the New Housing Building release was paused and the latest published annual data relates to 2018-19. Data for April 2019 to March 2021 is scheduled to be published on 14 December 2021.

It is important that those who wish to buy their own homes are able to do so and we have a number of schemes designed to increase home ownership in Wales. Schemes such as Help to Buy Wales were designed to both support people who need additional financial assistance to purchase a new build home and provide a boost the house building industry. The scheme, since inception, has delivered more than 12,800 homes, as at 31 September 2021. Further information about the Welsh Government supported home ownership schemes can be found on the Your Home in Wales website: https://gov.wales/your-home-in-wales