CIH Cymru urges Senedd to focus on housing supply ahead of migration debate

CIH Cymru is urging policymakers to focus on the real cause of housing pressures in Wales – a long-term shortage of genuinely affordable homes across all housing tenures – ahead of a Senedd debate on access to HMOs and social housing for foreign nationals this afternoon (Wednesday 7 October).

The debate will be led by Reform UK, who are calling for eligibility rules to be changed to end access to HMOs and social housing for foreign nationals.

Reform UK’s proposals seek tighter restrictions on social housing allocation, but CIH Cymru points out that strict rules on who can access social housing in Wales are already in place, with only those with a legal right to live in the UK being able to secure a social housing tenancy. The latest Census data shows that 79.2% of all social housing tenants were born in Wales, 15% were born elsewhere in the UK and only 5.8% were non-UK nationals. 

HMOs are an important part of Wales' housing system, offering affordable and flexible accommodation to a wide range of residents, including students, single people, lower-income households and those moving to a new area. It’s important to distinguish this from the provision of accommodation for people seeking sanctuary or asylum, which is a separate matter and solely the responsibility of the UK government.

CIH Cymru believes the priority should be increasing the supply of social and affordable homes rather than pursuing measures that are unlikely to tackle the root causes of housing need.

CIH Cymru director Matt Dicks said: “This debate must be grounded in evidence to ensure that it reflects how the system really works in Wales. We all want a housing system that is fair, but the discussion around a fair housing system must begin with acknowledging the causes of Wales’ current housing emergency, which has been driven by a systemic failure to build enough homes over decades. 

“The priority of government must be increasing the supply of social and affordable homes, and CIH and its members are already undertaking this work in partnership with Welsh government and looking at overcoming the barriers to increasing supply of homes across all housing tenures. This includes improvements to the planning system, developing local supply chains and bridging the skills gap. We also need to ensure that we have a suitable level of long term funding to assist our housing providers to develop the homes we need in the right places across Wales. Increasing supply is key to ensuring everyone in Wales can access a safe, affordable and sustainable place to call home.”