Welsh Government wants 7,500 affordable homes built by 2016

This is an increase of 1,000 new homes on the previous target and will be delivered with a combination of subsidy from the Welsh Government and other housing providers using their own finance.

The Welsh Government plans to deliver 12,500 homes in total over the next four years, which includes building 7,500 new affordable homes and bringing 5,000 empty homes back into use, through the Houses into Homes scheme launched earlier this year. 

"A total of 12,500 homes is an ambitious goal, but one I believe is deliverable," said Huw Lewis, Welsh Government Minister. "To do this the Welsh Government, Local Authorities, Housing Associations and the private sector will all have to work together to attract funding from other sources and to achieve the best possible value for money in order to deliver much needed homes for the people of Wales."

To reach its target number of homes, the Welsh Government wants to secure £22 million social housing grant, which would bring the total grant to £97m for the period of 2011 to 2012, support the development of a Welsh Housing Bond, accelerate land release for housing and support new models of development such as the Ely Bridge. It also aims to develop "new and innovative" ways to access housing, such as co-operative housing and mutual home ownership and is working on the best position to exit the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy system.

The Welsh Government’s proposals for new legislation and other, non-legislative action to help to meet housing need in Wales will be published next week in the new Government White Paper, it said.

"There is great pressure to provide affordable housing across Wales and we are aware that there is not enough to meet the need. At the same time as Welsh Government budgets are reducing, the level of housing need is increasing," said Lewis.

"I want to secure alternative ways of bringing new money into the housing sector and also new approaches to housing, such as co-operative housing and innovations such as the Welsh Housing Partnership," he said.