Housing Associations – which fall under the legal banner (in Wales) of Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) – provide just over 150,000 (or 69.3%) of all social homes available for rent in Wales as of 2022-231.
The sector lies in a grey zone of providing a public service whilst effectively being run as businesses within the private sector.
Additionally, some Welsh councils have maintained council housing while others have no council-let housing at all.
1. StatsWales, “Self-contained stock at social rent by local authority area and provider type” (2022-23). Available at: https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Housing/Social-Housing-Stock-and-Rents/selfcontainedstock-by-area-providertype
Some councils are beginning to build their own homes again – often to great fanfare.
Radical Wales: A Home For Everyone
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Though as noted in earlier sections, this barely registers in the grand scheme of things. Council houses accounted for just 193 (3.3%) of all completions in 2022-234 – and that was the highest number of council houses built in Wales since 1994-95.
One area in which councils may be able to step in more effectively is bringing empty properties back into use. Many councils have introduced (or are considering) a mix of “carrots” and “sticks” to find a solution – whether it’s council tax premiums or grants.
Some politicians have discussed housing co-operatives – where residents take on responsibility for decisions affecting their estate or shared building. Though there are a few housing co-ops in Wales most are small scale.
While the Merthyr Valley Homes housing association is run as a mutual, only one block of flats in Gellideg is run as a full housing co-operative (Taf Fechan Housing Co-op). It’ll need to be proven to work on a bigger scale to become a proper alternative to the community benefit company model most housing associations use.
Co-operative housing might be a good long-term alternative to leaseholds (because it gives control over estate management to tenants). It may also be a fairer option for those who are priced out of the private rental market, but who would not be deemed a high priority for social housing (i.e. single employed adults).
4. StatsWales, “New completions by period and tenure”. Available at: https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Housing/New-House-Building/newdwellingscompleted-by-period-tenure
