Welsh Assembly Elections 2011: A CIH Cymru briefing on the party manifestos

Transcription

1 Welsh Assembly Elections 2011: A CIH Cymru briefing on the party manifestos April

2 Introduction This briefing sets out the main policies in the election manifestos of the four main political parties in Wales that are relevant to the housing and communities sector. It is part of CIH Cymru s service to help the sector keep up to date with housing issues in the run up to the Welsh Assembly Government elections on 5 th May The election will mark the introduction of new powers which will allow the Welsh Assembly Government to legislate over all housing matters for the first time. This briefing also assesses the extent to which the ideas included in the Housing Pact Cymru are reflected in the party manifestos. Housing Pact Cymru was a two-way ask and offer of Government developed in partnership with the housing sector through a wide consultation process. For more information see

3 Quick Links Manifesto overviews Conservative Labour Liberal Democrat Plaid Cymru Key housing commitments Conservative Labour Liberal Democrat Plaid Cymru CIH Cymru commentary and analysis A Welsh approach Meeting housing need Affordable housing Empty homes Rural housing The private rented sector Standards Raising the bar The quality of social housing The quality of private housing The quality of services to tenants Putting people first Tackling homelessness / housing advice Supporting People Meeting the needs of older people The housing advantage Health and housing Housing and the economy Housing and the environment Housing Pact Cymru: Manifesto Summary Table

4 Manifesto Overviews Conservative The Conservative election pledges are set out in their manifesto A new voice for Wales and centre on boosting enterprise and employment, improving healthcare and raising standards in schools. Criticising Labour s record on the economy, the manifesto promises to increase the size of the private sector in Wales, aiming for Welsh wealth to be 85% of the UK average by They set out a range of ways in which the big society concept will be rolled out in Wales, devolving power to local communities and giving them a greater say in local decisions, including giving Town and Community Councils a greater say in the planning process. The manifesto also sets out a strong focus on using the law-making powers won by March's referendum through eleven different Bills including an Enterprise Bill to foster the private sector and a Public Health Improvement Bill that would create a health screening service. Conservative election pledges Protect the NHS budget for four years Invest in education to give teachers, parents and governors a greater say An armed forces' card with benefits such as free bus travel and NHS priority care Scrap business rates for all small businesses Protect flood plains with new 'blue belts' to prevent irresponsible development Eliminate child poverty by 2020 Protect free bus passes and free prescriptions for older people Promote the Welsh language with a new charter mark for businesses that encourage its use The full Conservative manifesto can be accessed here

5 Manifesto Overviews Labour The Welsh Labour manifesto Standing up for Wales sets out the detailed actions that the party would deliver during the next Assembly term. The manifesto places a strong focus on growing the Welsh economy and delivering sustainable jobs, recognising the role that regeneration and sustainable procurement can have in this, and committing to role out the i2i Can-do Toolkit across public service providers. Housing does not feature in their five top election pledges, which concentrate on tackling youth unemployment, improving access to GPs, more frontline spending in schools, funding Police Community Support Officers and better health visiting, nursery places and support to families through the Flying Start programme. The manifesto focuses on Labour s record in Government as a platform for further change, including their action on child poverty, the environment and fuel poverty, but says that the overarching priority over the next Assembly term will be on delivery. They criticise what they call the damaging and savage policies of the UK Tory Government under which they say Wales is being treated unfairly. Labour s five key pledges More apprenticeships and training opportunities for young people Access to GP surgeries in the evenings and Saturdays More funding for schools. An extra 500 Police Community Support Officers Double the number of children benefiting from free childcare and health visiting The full Labour manifesto can be accessed here

6 Manifesto Overviews Liberal Democrat In Wales can do better the Welsh Liberal Democrats suggest that this election is the most important election since devolution. Their manifesto focuses on delivering value for money and rooting out waste and giving more power to local people. Their five election priorities are based around these principles, and do include a number of references to housing. They focus on making better use of our money through up-skilling unemployed young people and rooting out waste, and prioritising education by giving more money to schools and investing in training and development for teachers. Other policy areas in their priorities are health and the environment where they promise to cut waiting times and improve choice in social care and to overhaul the energy efficiency of an extra 12,000 homes. Finally, they state their ambition to put local people in charge by freeing councils from bureaucracy and enacting a new law to give communities more power over local decisions, including housing. The manifesto sets out what savings would be made in order to fund their commitments which include plans to scrap the subsidy for Ieuan Air (Wales North South air link) and to merge environmental bodies. The Liberal Democrats also commit to making targeted recruitment and training standard in all Welsh Government contracts. The full Liberal Democrat manifesto can be accessed here

7 Manifesto Overviews Plaid Cymru The Plaid Cymru manifesto takes the mantra Ambition is critical as its guiding principle. A Manifesto for a Better Wales sets out a vision which they say is based on ambition, respect and collaborative responsibility. Again, housing is not reflected in their four election pledges which concentrate on education (making sure that children leave school with minimum standards of literacy and numeracy) economic recovery (through a Build4Wales scheme Small Business Bonus) health (being able to see a Doctor or Dentist when you need one) but also on the digital agenda (mobile phone, broadband and transport links to better connect Wales). Plaid Cymru is critical of Labour despite the previous four-year coalition, blaming it for a culture of excuses and saying it lacks ambition. The UK Government s current welfare reform proposals are described as the most savage cuts in public services since the 1930 s which will target the more vulnerable people with punitive action for those unable to meet unrealistic Government demands. Plaid s four key pledges Make sure children leave primary school able to read, write and count to the expected standard Help small businesses to grow, create jobs and help people train for long-term employment Quick and effective healthcare Connect Wales with better mobile signals, wifi and broadband coverage, and a modern transport system The full Plaid Cymru manifesto can be accessed here

8 Key Housing Commitments Conservative Housing is included under the Social Justice section along with a range of other policy areas such as fuel poverty, financial inclusion, substance misuse, and supporting carers. There are only eight housing commitments, less than all the other parties, but along with Plaid are the only other party to set a target for new affordable homes (10,000). They are also the only political party to commit to protecting the Right to Buy in Wales. The housing commitments are as follows: Set a target to build at least 10,000 more affordable homes by 2015 Relate the definition of affordable housing to local price / income ratios Examine the case for moving the Deputy Minister for Housing to the Department for Health and Social Services Create a single tenure for all Social Housing tenants Publish an affordable homes strategy which will also tackle the problem of empty homes Fully protect the Right to Buy in Wales Encourage housing stock transfer as a means to improve the quality of social housing, empower tenants and deliver Sustainable Community Regeneration Focus the home insulation scheme on older, harder to insulate homes There are a number of other housing commitments contained within other sections of the manifesto. These include: A more enterprised focused planning policy which includes the release of more land for affordable housing (in the Rural Wales section) A public health improvement bill which would place a new duty on public agencies to collaborate and pool resources to secure public health outcomes, to include housing (under the legislative programme) Labour The Labour manifesto dedicates a separate chapter to housing which begins by acknowledging the role that housing plays in health, wellbeing, education and general life chances. As well as measures to deliver new housing and improve quality across sectors, Labour highlights the role that housing investment can play in other areas and also includes a range of measures aimed at involving and engaging people in housing decision making. Delivering new housing Make public land available for housing Increase the supply of new affordable homes through Social Housing Grant together with accessing innovative forms of finance such the Welsh Housing Partnership and housing bonds Introduce a new Empty Properties initiative in partnership with local authorities Support local authorities who wish to build new homes for rent and encourage innovation through Community Land Trusts and other new ways of providing land and funding Ensure that Local Development Plans and planning policy at a local level helps address the shortfall in homes

9 Introduce a new Flexible Tenure initiative that will allow people to move between renting, home ownership and shared ownership as their life circumstances change Improving housing quality Secure a further 1.2 billion to deliver the Welsh Housing Quality Standard for all council and housing association tenants across Wales. Support the development of interest-free Property Appreciation Loans to allow low income homeowners to borrow to improve their properties Work with councils and landlords to improve housing standards and tenants rights in the Private Rented Sector Invest a further 50 million in the ARBED programme to increase the energy performance of our existing homes and help combat fuel poverty Getting added value out of housing investment Ensure that housing investment delivers a minimum of 2,000 additional jobs and training through the i2i Can Do Toolkit and work across Assembly Government departments to embed this imaginative flexible approach to procurement in other investment programmes Use WQHS investment to maximise its impact on local and community economic development through imaginative procurement to promote skills development and employability Engaging and involving people Promote Mutual Ownership of housing, including consideration of the New Foundations model Work with social landlords to ensure they are more accountable to their tenants and local communities Support Tenant Participation services. Build on the ten-year Homelessness Plan and continue to invest in vulnerable people Liberal Democrat The Liberal Democrats link housing and regeneration in their manifesto under the better use of our money theme. They give a particular focus to the issue of empty homes and to helping first time buyers have a stronger focus than most of the parties on tackling the green agenda in relation to the existing stock. The range of the housing commitments are based around the three areas of affordable housing, access to housing and the environment. Affordable Housing Bring empty homes back in to use through; a Wales-wide Empty Homes Programme; allowing use of the Social Housing Grant to turn empty properties into homes for rent. empowering councils to increase council tax for owners of empty properties; and increasing the powers available to councils to return empty properties to use, including streamlining Empty Dwellings Management Orders Bring more private money into housing by working with the housing associations to restart the Welsh Housing Investment Trust

10 Protect any new social rented housing from being sold under the Right-to-Buy scheme for a minimum of twenty five years in areas where this is needed Set a minimum level of affordable housing in any new development if the market supports this measure, by strengthening local authorities to use planning agreements to do this Fairer access to housing Changing the way in which second homes are categorised in the planning system so that communities and councils can control the number of second homes A key workers scheme using both HomeBuy and Low Cost Ownership schemes to help those on low incomes get onto the housing ladder Reforming housing tenure so that people who move from Council houses to social housing do not lose out. Promoting the development of Community Land Trusts (non-profit, community-based organisations that provide housing to increase sustainable and affordable developments) Providing additional rights to owners of park homes, especially those who are seeking to sell their home The environment This is covered under a separate section on energy in the Liberal Democrat manifesto and sets out a range of measures aimed at reducing carbon use and increasing renewal energy. The key promises for housing include: Ensure people who are fuel poor or living off-gas are the focus of Welsh Government fuel poverty programmes Deliver an additional 12,000 warmer homes by doubling the money available for tackling fuel poverty Remove the requirements for planning permission for small scale micro-generation in private homes Provide support and advice for community energy schemes by setting up a Community Energy Wales organisation Plaid Cymru Housing and communities are also given a distinct chapter in the Plaid Cymru manifesto, which makes direct links between housing and health the economy and the environment. After meeting the 6500 affordable homes target during the last Assembly term, they have set the same target for the next four years. Plaid is the only party to specifically mention rural housing through committing to maintain the network of rural housing enablers. They also specifically mention housing-related support and commit to protecting the Supporting People budget. Delivering new housing Create at least 6,500 new affordable homes in Wales over the next Assembly term Introduce more intermediate housing including a Rent Now Buy Later scheme Support low cost home ownership, including through the Homebuy scheme Bring new sources of finance to invest in affordable housing, working with financial institutions and housing providers Challenge the UK Government to end the unfair council housing finance system

11 Implement a new Regulatory Framework for Housing Associations, taking a risk based and outcome focused approach to regulation. Introduce a revised-rent benchmarking regime which protects standards, is transparent and robust, and ensures fairer rents. Bring empty properties back into use through a balance of incentives and disincentives, including allowing local authorities to charge up to 200% council tax on second homes and empty properties and introducing repayable grants to finance their redevelopment. Maintain the network of rural housing enablers Improving housing quality Ensure housing providers maintain the Welsh Housing Quality Standards and identify where further improvements can be made Increase the capacity of the private rented sector by working to tackle poor landlords and encourage best practice. Legislate to introduce compulsory written tenancy terms Regulate the management of Park Homes Allow Park Homes to play their role in increasing the supply of affordable homes Meeting the needs of vulnerable people Protect the Supporting People budget and implement the conclusions of the independent Aylward review Support older people to stay independent in their homes through the Extra Care schemes, Care and Repair programmes and the Rapid Response Adaptations programme Maximize the use of telecare in our housing policies to improve safety in the home for our disabled and elderly people so that they can retain as much independence as possible Ensure that national independent consumer and advocacy services are answerable to the National Assembly for Wales

12 CIH Cymru commentary and analysis This section provides a more detailed analysis of the manifesto commitments, comparing the policies of the four parties under a range of different themes. We have structured the analysis around the five themes of CIH Cymru s Housing Pact Cymru and have therefore also endeavoured to assess what impact our lobbying has had in the development of the manifestos. Following the analysis we have included a summary table showing which housing pact commitments are included in the each of the manifestos, either as a relevant reference or a specific commitment. A Welsh approach In the Housing Pact, we called on the Welsh Assembly Government to use its powers to underpin policy making that meets the specific needs and challenges faced here and develop solutions that are relevant to the Welsh context. One specific ask under this broad heading was for the new Government to make appropriate use of its new legislative capability; in particular to develop a social housing tenancy so that social housing tenants can expect the same rights and responsibilities regardless of who their landlord is and we are therefore pleased to see this commitment included in both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat manifestos. We also asked that the new Government take a distinctive approach to the welfare reform agenda, which directs resources in to mitigating the impact on the most vulnerable. It will come of no surprise that both the Labour party and Plaid Cymru are highly critical of the UK Government s welfare reform proposals and that both commit to measures to mitigate the impacts here in Wales, whilst any reference to Welfare Reform is notably absent from the other two manifestos. There are a number of other Housing Pact asks under this heading which are not covered by any of the other manifestos, including a commitment to making the Housing and Regeneration portfolio a full Ministerial portfolio and increasing strategic capacity within the Assembly. This gives us a platform on which to concentrate our lobbying efforts in the run up to the election in recognition that some of our asks may be more longer term objectives. Meeting housing need Affordable Housing A focus on delivering more affordable homes is, unsurprisingly, prevalent in all four party manifestos, with a universal acknowledgement of the need to develop new funding and investment opportunities in order to achieve this. The Liberal Democrats promise to restart the Welsh Housing Investment Trust and to set a minimum level of affordable housing on new developments. Labour promises to make housing a higher priority over the coming decade, and to use SHG, innovative finance, better use of the planning system and public land to do this. The Conservatives promise to publish an affordable homes strategy along the lines of the affordable housing delivery plan that CIH Cymru has been calling for. They also promise to fully protect the Right to Buy in Wales which would result in an about-turn of the One Wales approach to the Right to Buy, with powers gained under the LCO allowing local authorities

13 to suspend the Right to Buy in areas of housing pressure - a measure which has been overwhelmingly supported by CIH Cymru and the rest of the housing sector. Only two of the parties set an affordable housing target for the next Assembly term, with Plaid Cymru re-setting their 6,500 figure from the previous administration and the Conservative party setting an ambitious target of 10,000. During the One Wales Coalition, the 6,500 target was criticised for being arbitrary and not based in evidence it will therefore be interesting to find out more details over how both these figures were developed. Either way, in the current climate it is safe to say that delivering these numbers will require a significant effort from the whole housing sector. Overall, there is a general party consensus on the need for more affordable homes and the tools needed to make this happen (innovative investment, using public sector land etc) the challenge will be delivering this during an economic downturn. In our Housing Pact, CIH Cymru set out what we would do to help support the sector to deliver more affordable housing, including capturing and sharing good practice on affordable housing delivery and developing and delivering a comprehensive cross sector and joint professional training and development programme to ensure that the sector has the right knowledge, skills and tools to meet housing need. We are committed to working with the new Government to help engage all partners in brokering a whole system approach to delivering additional homes. Empty homes Another issue over which there is a degree of party consensus is the need to bring additional empty homes back in to use. This is strongly welcomed by CIH Cymru as this has been a policy priority for us for a number of years. (See our joint briefing with Shelter Cymru on this issue here). Labour promises a New Empty Property Initiative and the Conservatives will tackle Empty Homes as part of their affordable housing strategy. Both Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats will seek to use additional council tax as a disincentive to owners of empty homes and to use other incentives and enforcements to address this issue. CIH Cymru has been calling for the next Government to implement the recommendations of the Communities and Culture report in to the PRS, one of which was the establishment of a national sustainable empty property fund which can be accessed by the housing sector to help bring empty properties back in to use. Given the cross party focus on this issue, we are hopeful that this will be a Government priority over the next Assembly term. Rural housing Rural housing is only specifically mentioned by one party with Plaid Cymru committing to maintain the network of rural housing enablers (another Housing Pact Cymru ask). However, Labour and the Liberal Democrats both include distinct sections on rural issues more generally, with reference to housing as a distinct rural challenge. CIH Cymru has worked hard to highlight the particular challenges of rural housing see our Action on Rural Housing publication here and Key Information on Rural Homelessness here and will continue to raise this issue up the agenda with the incoming Government.

14 The Private Rented Sector Whilst a number of the manifestos refer to the Private Rented Sector, this in the context of improving quality and security rather than as a strategic mechanism for meeting housing need. The Conservatives do not refer to the Private Rented Sector at all, reflecting the wider UK party approach to this sector, which is to leave the current system alone without any state intervention. The other parties approaches to improving standards are covered in Raising the Bar below. Standards A notable absence from all four manifestos is the lack of recognition about the balance that needs to be struck between housing standards and delivering good quality new homes at the volume that Wales requires. These issues are dealt with separately in the manifestos, most probably because this is an issue that is currently in the too difficult box with no easy answers. Nevertheless, it is CIH Cymru s view that we need to embark on an honest and reasonable conversation with the sector about a sustainable balance of standards and supply, and as part of our offer to the next Government we will work to broker and facilitate this dialogue with the relevant partners. Raising the bar Quality of social housing The quality of Wales housing stock is another common manifesto theme although the approach to improving quality varyies considerably across the various parties. Both Labour and Plaid promise to implement WHQS across the social housing sector, with Plaid being the only group to consider where the standard might go next. The Conservatives state that they will encourage housing stock transfer as a means to improve the quality of social housing, which is interestingly the only reference to stock transfer in all four manifestos. The Liberal Democrats do not specifically mention the quality of social housing and their only reference to housing quality more generally is in relation to the green agenda (see below). Only one party, Plaid Cymru, refers to the funding arrangements for council housing, promising to challenge the UK Government to end the current system which sees 80 million of tenants rent paid over to the Treasury every year. The Housing Pact Cymru calls for the next Welsh Government to fully implement the Welsh Housing Quality Standard across the social housing domain and in partnership with the housing sector to consider a successor standard that is cross sectoral. It also calls for the next Government to ensure a sustainable future for local authority finance so that tenants have access to excellent quality homes and services. We strongly believe that tenants of social housing should be entitled to a minimum quality regardless of who their landlord is and that Wales should be aspirational in its aims for the quality of private sector homes. We will work hard to make this case in the run up to the elections and with the incoming Assembly Government. Quality of private sector housing CIH Cymru endorsed the recent Communities and Culture Committee s report on the Private Rented Sector (accessible here) which included a number of recommendations aimed at improving quality and

15 standards. Whilst none of the manifestos directly relate to this cross-party report, there are a number of individual recommendations that can be identified. Labour and Plaid Cymru for example both place a high priority on improving the quality of homes in the private sector. Both manifestos include a commitment to improve standards in the private rented sector with Labour and Plaid promising to tackle poor landlords and encourage best practice in this sector. For private home owners, both Labour and Plaid the Liberal Democrats promise to increase quality through a national loan scheme, Labour s targeted at low income homeowners, Liberal Democrat s as a tool for independence in social care, and Plaid s with a focus on financing domestic energy efficiency and renewable energy measures to enable households in Wales to retrofit their homes. The green agenda is the main theme of the Liberal Democrat s approach to housing quality, with a commitment to delivering an additional 12,000 warmer homes by doubling the money available for tackling fuel poverty and removing the requirements for planning permission for small scale micro-generation in private homes. The Conservative Party says it will focus the home insulation scheme on older, harder to insulate homes. Quality of services to tenants Raising the Bar is not just about the physical quality of the housing stock but about the services that are provided to tenants and the models of engagement and accountability that are in place. The Labour manifesto has probably the greatest focus on this particular policy area, promising to promote mutual ownership of housing, work with social landlords to ensure they are more accountable to their tenants and to support Tenant Participation services, all of which is strongly welcomed by CIH Cymru. The Conservatives state that stock transfer will be used as a tool to empower tenants. Under this category, a number of the parties state their intention to use their new law making powers - the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to reform social housing tenure and Plaid Cymru to introduce compulsory written tenancy terms to improve for tenants in private rented accommodation. Labour also commits to improving tenants rights in the Private Rented Sector. A policy area that has been a significant focus of our policy work has been the new regulatory framework; specifically making it tenant-led and lobbying for domain regulation across the social housing sector. Plaid Cymru is the only manifesto that refers to regulation and does so from the perspective of it being a tool to encourage lenders to invest in affordable housing in Wales. This is somewhat disappointing, but CIH Cymru will continue to promote the role of regulation in driving sector led improvement for tenants and to lobby for all social housing tenants to be brought within the same regulatory framework. Putting people first CIH Cymru believes that the new Government should put individuals at the heart of housing policy making in order to give them housing choices which empower them to lead fulfilling lives, regardless of their individual needs or circumstances. This section considers the extent to which this approach has been adopted within the various manifestos.

16 Tackling Homelessness / Housing advice The latest national statistics show that the impact of the economic downturn is starting to play out in the worst possible way; homelessness is on the increase and more families are being accommodated in Bed and Breakfast accommodation. What then are the various parties saying about their approach to homelessness over the next four years at a time when it is likely to become a serious issue for Government to address? Labour states that it will build its ten year homelessness plan and continue to invest in vulnerable people to avert homelessness. It also promises that it will take forward a range of projects to tackle homelessness, including Bond Boards, and will seek to ensure best practice is spread across Wales. Plaid says that it will take a prevention approach to homelessness, and thus focuses its interventions on independent advice and advocacy as well as financial and debt advice. Neither the Liberal Democrat or Conservative manifestos make any reference to the problem of Homelessness or how they might tackle it. Supporting People Housing related support is another policy issue which is currently high on the agenda following the independent review undertaken by Prof Sir Mansel Aylward. The need for support and homelessness services has never been greater due to our ageing population, a rise in the number of people with learning disabilities and the economic situation. Research has shown that the human cost of an economic downturn is more family breakdown, domestic abuse, drug and alcohol problems, mental ill-health and, ultimately, homelessness. When we add the highest level of youth unemployment we ve ever seen and the fact that personal debt is predicted to rise to unprecedented levels, it seems obvious that support services which help people to find or keep their home should be central to government policy. As the cuts to the Supporting People budget in Westminster continue to hit the media, what are Welsh politicians saying about this agenda? Supporting People is given a priority by both Labour and Plaid Cymru. Labour promises to invest 170 million a year in providing support to 50,000 of the most vulnerable people in society to help them find a home. Plaid Cymru also commits to protecting the Supporting People budget, and to implementing the conclusions of the Aylward review, including revising current funding streams, adopting a collaborative approach to administering the Programme Grant and ring-fencing. There are indirect links to supporting vulnerable people in the Liberal Democrat manifesto who set out what they will do to protect the most vulnerable including those struggling with finances, those suffering from domestic abuse and vulnerable children, but no direct reference to housing related support specifically. Similarly, the Conservatives set out how they will protect the most vulnerable including disabled people and ethnic minorities but do not make any links to housing in relation to this. Meeting the housing needs of older people The Housing Pact Cymru highlighted the housing needs of older people as a policy priority for the next Assembly Government. It called for a range of programmes to enable older people to live independently, an integrated approach to advice for older people and recognition that housing quality

17 and suitability is central to health and social care provision to older people. The Labour manifesto acknowledges the specific housing needs of older people but does not go further than this to outline how it is going to do this. Plaid Cymru provide more detail in this area, committing to Extra Care, Care and Repair schemes, Rapid Response programmes, and telecare as tools to support people to stay independent. The Liberal Democrats make the links with social care in their commitment to establishing a Welsh Home Improvement Lending Agency with charitable status to facilitate equity release loans to enable home owners, in conjunction with care and repair agencies, to access capital to carry out adaptations and repairs to their home. They also want to promote extra care again seeing this as a social care issue rather than a housing one. The Conservatives state that they will ensure that as many older people as possible are supported to live independently in their own homes but do not outline any housing policies that will help to facilitate this. The housing advantage The final Housing Pact Cymru theme relates to the added value that housing can deliver in other policy areas. We want the next Government to make housing a priority because of the capability it has to drive progress in health, education, social, economic and environmental programmes. This section considers the extent to which this approach is reflected in the party manifestos through an analysis of the links that are made between housing and some other key policy areas. Taking an overview of all four manifestos there is a degree of recognition of the wider role of housing, for example, in delivering economic regeneration and in supporting hospital discharge. What is lacking is a clear and consistent message about the role of housing across all policy areas from all political parties One of CIH Cymru s core functions is to get this message across, both with Government and in the wider public sphere. As part of our Housing Pact Cymru offer, we will up our efforts in this area to ensure that we use all mechanisms at our disposal to make the case for housing. Health and housing The link between good health and good housing has long been established. CIH Cymru has consistently argued for this to be followed through to better joint working and more importantly, the allocation of joint budgets, an ask that is reflected in the Housing Pact. In the past, quantifying the impact of health outcomes due to housing investment has been difficult however some recent studies have made a compelling case for a spend to save approach in this area Carmarthenshire County Council have evaluated the impact of their WHQS spend and shown that tenants who live in homes that have been improved are three times less likely to suffer mental health problems, 20% less likely to suffer from respiratory infections and much less likely to visit their GPS regularly. (See here for a full copy of the report). In the party manifestos there are some good cross references to housing and health, for example the Liberal Democrats, say that they will recognise the important role of good housing and combine different public sector budgets to achieve the greatest effect. The Conservatives, through their Public Heath Improvement Bill will place a new duty on public agencies to collaborate and pool resources to secure public health outcomes (to include health, social services, housing, education, and leisure

18 services). Labour states that a warm and secure home is essential to health and wellbeing and Plaid acknowledges that raising the standard of our housing can improve the health of our citizens, but neither follow this up with any direct actions. The economy Housing s role in delivering economic recovery cannot be understated, and this is an area in which Wales is currently leading the way. The significant investment that is being generated as a result of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard improvement programme has meant housing in Wales has bucked the economic trend. Through the i2i programme and Can do Toolkit, housing organisations in Wales are helping to deliver significant employment and training opportunities to some of the most disadvantaged communities in Wales. (See CIH Cymru has called for the next Government to recognise and build on some of these achievements over the coming years, to maintain the momentum that is currently in place. We think that policy areas outside of housing can learn from this sector s achievement and have therefore called for the Can do Toolkit to be promoted across all areas of Government spend. We were delighted to see this commitment included in the Labour Party manifesto, which commits to working across departments to embed this approach to procurement in other investment programmes. We are similarly pleased to see the Liberal Democrats make targeted recruitment and training standard in all Welsh Government contracts. Plaid recognises that investing in housing can boost the local economy, but apart from this there is a disappointing lack of recognition in the other manifestos about the role of housing-led regeneration, especially given the great successes that have been made in this area over the last four years and the huge potential that still remains. CIH Cymru will make the promotion of this message a key priority going forward. We will help the housing sector to share learning and good practice in relation to obtaining added value from housing-led regeneration, and up-skill housing professionals in how to promote employment to people who are furthest from the labour market and tackle worklessness in the communities where they provide homes and services. We will ensure that the housing sector is equipped with the appropriate knowledge and skills to use procurement as a vehicle to deliver wider regeneration benefits, in particular job and training opportunities. The environment Another issue over which there is a degree of party consensus is the role of housing in tackling the green agenda, in particular through improvement to the existing stock. Both Plaid and Labour commit to take forward the Arbed programme with Plaid targeting their aforementioned loan scheme towards energy efficiency measures. Addressing fuel poverty is a recurring theme in all manifestos although the Liberal Democrats arguably make the closest links between housing and the environment, dedicating a whole section and series of measures for tackling the Welsh housing stock in their chapter on A Better Environment.

19 Housing Pact Cymru: Manifesto Summary Table Housing Pact Cymru ask Relevant reference Specific commitment Manifesto Commitment Con Lab LD PC Theme 1: A Welsh Approach We want the Welsh Assembly Government to use its powers to underpin policy making that meets the specific housing needs and challenges faced in Wales. We want Government to seek housing solutions which are appropriate to the particular context here so that Wales can lead the way in innovation and excellence across the UK. Make the Housing and Regeneration Ministerial portfolio a full cabinet position Take an open and transparent approach to policy making which builds on the co-production approach and ensures the full engagement and involvement of all stakeholders Produce a clear statement of intent regarding the future approach to social housing in Wales which is informed by the views of the housing sector and tenants Use its legislative capability to develop a single social housing tenancy so that social housing tenants can expect the same rights and responsibilities regardless of who their landlord is Undertake a distinct approach to the welfare reform agenda which directs resources into mitigating the impact on the most vulnerable Invest in strategic capacity within the Welsh Assembly Government to ensure that it has the right skills and expertise at a strategic level, including the capacity to undertake high quality housing research Theme 2: Meeting Housing Need We want the Welsh Assembly Government to work with the housing sector to deliver more affordable high quality homes in Wales. We want them to remodel a more flexible housing system in future and to take a truly cross tenure approach to housing that as well as delivering new and innovative models also makes the best possible use of our existing stock. Develop a cross sectoral national housing delivery plan as a cornerstone of the programme for the next four years Ensure that national housing policy includes a focus on market housing Take a flexible and open minded approach to the delivery of new housing and recognise that Wales has different housing need and supply issues Implement the recommendations of the Communities and Culture report in to the PRS, including establishing a national sustainable empty property fund which can be accessed by the housing sector to help bring empty properties back in to use Embark on an honest and reasonable conversation with the sector about a sustainable balance between housing standards and delivering good quality new homes at the volume that Wales requires Maintain support for the rural housing enabler network and ensure that the specific challenges of developing housing in a rural context are reflected in national policy and guidance Lead by example through releasing public sector land for affordable housing in areas where housing is most needed Recognise the key role of the Private Rented Sector as a tool for meeting housing need and establish a dedicated strategic programme to lead this

20 Invest in a cross professional skills programme in housing, planning, community development and regeneration Use the new legislative capacity to increase the quality of properties and management of the PRS, including the regulation of letting agencies Support and implement a sustainable national loan scheme to help increase the quality of homes in the private sector Fully implement the WHQS programme across the social housing sector Consider a WHQS successor standard in partnership with tenants and landlords and set an aspiration for WHQS to be a cross sectoral standard Improve the evidence base around the quality of the housing stock in Wales Engage and empower tenants through the new regulatory framework and ensure that regulation expects the same standards of all social landlords Ensure a sustainable future for local authority finance so that tenants have access to excellent quality homes and services Urgently review the approach to homelessness in Wales to ensure universal access to help and support for anyone in housing need Invest sufficient resources for independent housing advice services which are part of a holistic response to include education, jobs and training and financial inclusion Work across sectors to ensure good quality and sustainable housing-related support services Support a range of programmes which enable older vulnerable home owners to live independently in their own homes alongside an integrated approach to the provision of information and advice to older people Recognise and promote the role that housing plays in developing sustainable communities Support the housing sector to lead the way in new and innovative approaches to social inclusion, including digital, financial and green skills agendas. Provide leadership in making the case that that housing quality and suitability is central to health and social care provision to older people Theme 5: The Housing Advantage We want the Welsh Assembly Government to recognise that housing has the demonstrative capability to strategically deliver, drive and determine progress on a wider range of policy areas, and in light of this put housing at the centre of health, education, economic, social and environmental programmes Provide strategic leadership within the Welsh Assembly to ensure that other policy areas recognise the role and contribution that housing can make, and to follow this through to the allocation of resources or joint budgets Ensure that housing led regeneration is not just social housing led but a core part of the strategic housing enabling role Place a greater emphasis on joint working between health and housing in recognition of the key role that housing can play in delivering health outcomes Follow this through to the allocation of joint health and housing budget and preventative spend to save programmes Support increased retrofit, building on the Arbed programme to prioritise refurbishment and modernisation and minimise the carbon footprint of existing homes Promote the Can do Toolkit approach both within the housing sector and beyond