Press Release on the improvements in peoples lives through having good quality homes

Mike Hedges welcomes figures which SHOW HOW homes are improving lives

Welsh Labour’s Communities and Children Secretary Carl Sargeant has welcomed figures that show that 79% of all social housing dwellings met the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) at March 31st 2016 – a rise of 8 percentage points on the previous year.

Mike said.. ‘I welcome this news which shows that the Wales Labour Government are on track to achieve good housing in Wales for all by 2020. I am particularly pleased that Swansea Council have invested £8 million in the last year on work including new bathrooms, kitchens and re wirings in properties in Penlan, with work commencing in St Thomas, Bonymaen and Port Tennant shortly; an example of a Labour Run Assembly and Labour Run council working in partnership to deliver outcomes for local people.’

The WHQS aims to ensure all homes provided by local authorities and housing associations are safe and secure and offer modern amenities. The standards will ensure that over 220,000 households in Wales have a home that is safe, warm and secure.

The Welsh Labour Government provides £108 million each year to help all social landlords meet and maintain the WHQS by 2020. So far expenditure of £452 million on the project has been tracked and 85% of that expenditure has been re-invested in Wales. The investment has also helped over 777 people into employment or training, and provided the equivalent of 19,920 weeks of training.