Written question WQ87418

Housing providers in receipt of Welsh Government grants must build housing to meet the Welsh Development Quality Requirements 2021.

These requirements ensure that new affordable homes are high quality, large enough for everyday living, and of sufficient size and design to meet the Lifetime Homes standard. This accessibility standard ensures stairs capable of taking a lift, more circulation space, an accessible ground floor shower, wider access doors and level external access paths. This makes the homes flexible and adaptable, able to be used by a range of occupants over their lifetime. New homes must meet energy and decarbonisation requirements and achieve EPC A for energy efficiency, and they must be safe and secure, designed to comply fully with the Secured by Design (SBD) Gold standard.

For existing social housing, landlords have a responsibility to ensure that their tenants’ needs are met through the provisions of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard. Part 7 of the Standard states that all necessary aids and adaptations to meet the specific requirements of residents should be provided. Local authorities have statutory duties to provide Disabled Facilities Grants for disabled people in all tenures, and Welsh Government provides a further £19.5 million each year in grants for adaptations.