- January 26, 2018
- Posted by: Vikki Howells MS
- Category: Latest News
This week legislation to abolish the Right to Buy was given royal ascent. Vikki Howells, Assembly Member for the Cynon Valley, has welcomed royal ascent being given for this landmark Bill, aimed at protecting current housing stock and giving incentives for the building of new social housing.
The Bill aims to protect the stock of social housing in Wales from further reduction, ensuring it is available to provide safe, secure and affordable housing for people who are unable to buy or rent a home of their own. It complements other actions being taken by the Welsh Government to increase the supply of housing in communities like Cynon Valley.
Between 1981 and 2016, over 139,000 local authority and housing association homes were sold off under the Right to Buy across Wales.
This has led to a big increase in housing waiting lists and many vulnerable people having long waits or being unable to get social housing.
Vikki Howells said:
“I am pleased to see that this legislation has received royal ascent”
“We cannot ignore the suffering that increasing housing lists cause. The Welsh Labour Government are committed to significant investment in housing and have pledged to create 20,000 more affordable homes by 2021, and are supporting social landlords to help achieve this.
“A large part of my Constituency casework is made up of housing issues and the lack of affordable and satisfactory housing. This legislation will also give social landlords more confidence to invest in new housing, by removing the risk of these homes being sold after only a few years.
“I have met with the Welsh Government to discuss plans and know that they will shortly be publishing more information for tenants which will be circulated by their landlords, to better explain what this Act means for them.”
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