Housing fit for the future

We are facing a housing crisis; could Wales’ world-leading Well-being of Future Generations Act provide solutions? Derek Walker, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, thinks so.

The urgent rising pressures of poverty and inequality; demographic change; and reaching net-zero, in the context of affordable housing and sustainable neighbourhoods, was the subject of a recent APSE event aimed at local councillors.

In Wales, we recognise these issues are intertwined, and that acting on today’s biggest problems must also secure a better life for people who will be born in the future.

Wales is the only country in the world with a Well-being of Future Generations Act, and after I became commissioner in 2023, I published Cymru Can, a strategy with an overall mission to make this ground-breaking law work harder.

Living in a warm, dry home in a neighbourhood that is safe, attractive and well-connected is fundamental to our well-being. That’s why solving housing is so crucial to the delivery of the WFGA. We should all have access to housing that exceeds our basic needs and supports us to contribute socially and economically to our communities. Unfortunately, for many people in Wales – and across the UK – this isn’t the reality, and it’s leading to bigger challenges. The Bevan Foundation described the situation as “a housing crisis,” with increasing numbers of families forced into unsuitable dwellings or presenting as homeless to local authorities.

The consequences of this crisis are a threat to the well-being of both current and future generations.

Poor housing affects educational attainment and long-term health outcomes; it deepens poverty and inequality, particularly for children and young people, with a third of children currently living in poverty in Wales. Many communities experiencing a lack of affordable housing are also Welsh-speaking communities, with some of the lowest incomes in the UK. If we are to reach our national milestone of a million Welsh speakers by 2050, increasing the supply of homes in these areas for local young people is vital.

Our Well-being of Future Generations Act makes us the only country in the world to place a legal duty on every public service to improve well-being for current and future generations simultaneously.

Public bodies, including local authorities, must legally work together, with their communities, in a preventative and long-term way to meet our national well-being goals of a prosperous, environmentally-resilient, healthier, more equal, globally responsible Wales with cohesive communities and a vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language.

The Act is about joined-up thinking. For example, improving the energy efficiency of new and existing homes will not only contribute to a healthier Wales (Public Health Wales research found poor housing accounts for £95m of NHS annual costs), but a more equal Wales – given that the worst housing stock often impacts on already disadvantaged people disproportionately.

Creating the jobs, skills and education to retrofit homes creates prosperity and finding eco-friendly solutions to construction will contribute to a globally responsible and resilient Wales. Ensuring these homes are in well-connected communities and promote culture and Welsh language will contribute to more of our goals, increasing the likelihood of a green, thriving and inclusive Wales (our team’s vision) in the future.

Good ideas are being put into action across Wales – from Cardiff Council’s new partnership with Sero homes homes to retrofit 153 hard-to-heat properties, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing residents’ energy bills, to Swansea where more than 1,000 homes are having solar panels. But we need more.

As local leaders, you have a role and responsibility to use the Act as a framework in planning, decision-making and scrutiny. You are communicators with communities and representatives of your community. The Act is there to help guide better action now and for future generations.

We can all contribute to making Wales a better place to grow up, to live, to thrive.

As I set out in Cymru Can, there are challenges to overcome like the climate and nature emergencies, inequalities in health, keeping our culture and Welsh language alive and kicking, and moving our priority towards the planet and away from purely profit. But the benefits, if we meet these challenges head on and solve today’s problems, will be a dramatic improvement in living standards for people in Wales.

• If you have examples of change in your local community, let us know by e-mailing [email protected]
• For more information on the Cymru Can mission for better Implementation and Impact, contact director, Heledd Morgan at [email protected]