Written question WQ95817
- Asked by
- Delyth JewellPlaid
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 14 days
Question
What discussions has the Cabinet Secretary had with Caerphilly council and other partners to encourage flexibility within the Welsh housing quality standards to reduce the number of empty council houses in Caerphilly County Borough?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
The new Welsh Housing Quality Standard has been introduced in a pragmatic way that allows all social landlords to work towards compliance. The new standard also provides flexibility for social landlords to classify social homes as a conditional pass, when it is physically or not practicable for that home to fully comply with the standard.
In addition, there are other policies and programmes available to social landlords to increase the provision of social housing across the whole of Wales.
The Transitional Accommodation Capital Programme (TACP) follows a hierarchical approach to standards that allows for a greater choice of housing options to be delivered, at pace, which may not always meet Welsh Development Quality Requirements 2021 (new builds) and Welsh Housing Quality Standard 2023 (existing homes).
Leasing Scheme Wales also provides owners the opportunity to lease their empty home to the local authority for between 5 and 20 years. Caerphilly County Borough Council are one of 20 local authorities taking part in Leasing Scheme Wales.