Local Authorities have a legal duty to consider how the housing needs of their area are going to be addressed. All sectors of the housing market are therefore important, particularly the private sector, which provides 83% of homes in Wales. The private sector is made up of owner occupied homes (73%) and the private rented sector (10%).
Over recent decades levels of owner occupation has risen steadily, but in the recent housing boom home ownership has become increasingly unaffordable and unsustainable. Local Authorities play an important role in increasing the supply of affordable homes in the private and social sectors, and are also encouraging a more flexible housing market to offer a range of intermediate options between ownership and renting in the future.
Privately Rented Homes
The private rented sector is relatively small, but it plays an important role in providing homes for people who are unable to access social housing or owner occupation. Local Authorities are working with private landlords to increase the supply of good quality privately rented homes. This includes a number of initiatives including:
- Landlords Forums;
- Social Lettings Agencies;
- Landlord Accreditation Wales; the 22 Local Authorities in Wales have developed this scheme
- Licensing houses in multiple occupation (HMO’s); and
- Using legal powers to force landlords to improve standards, when this is necessary.
Housing Renewal
Local Authorities also encourage and support private owners to improve their homes. Few authorities are able to offer improvement grants, but they are assisting owners in a range of ways including improvement agencies and equity release schemes. The main focus of housing renewal activity by authorities is now ‘renewal areas,’ where housing conditions are particularly poor.
A recent Welsh Assembly review of renewal areas in Wales endorsed the success of this approach and the regeneration impact that renewal areas have on housing and communities. For further details visit the Welsh Assembly Government website here
Disabled Facilities Grants
Local Authorities are responsible for providing disabled facilities grants (DFG’s), to help with the cost of adapting homes to allow people to remain living independently at home. The demand for DFG’s continues to rise and the projected increase in older households over the coming decades will continue this trend. Housing Associations receive a Physical Adaptations Grant (PAG) to adapt their homes. The WLGA would like to see changes made to the funding arrangements to provide more equal access to adaptations across all tenures.
February 2010: WLGA Consultation Response: Streamlining of Physical Adaptations Grant (PAG)
Individual Authorities will provide further information on the support they provide for the private sector in their area.
For more information contact: Sue Finch