Housing associations call for greater support for North Wales residents facing cost of living pressures
Housing associations in North Wales and Community Housing Cymru have called on Welsh Government for increased investment for social and affordable homes and wider financial support to help tenants deal with the increasing food and energy costs and sustaining long term tenancies.
Speaking at the Plaid Cymru conference in Llandudno today (Friday, October 2) Adra, Cartrefi Conwy, ClwydAlyn, Grŵp Cynefin and North Wales Housing teamed up with Community Housing Cymru to highlight the increasing pressures facing many tenants and the vital support being provided to help people manage household costs, improve financial resilience and maintain their wellbeing.
Iwan Trefor Jones, Chief Executive of Adra; Adrian Johnson, Chief Executive of Cartrefi Conwy; Clare Budden, Chief Executive of ClwydAlyn; Mel Evans, Chief Executive of Grŵp Cynefin and Helena Kirk, Chief Executive of North Wales Housing said:
“Social housing is a growing sector in North Wales and together, we provide 26,500 homes across the region for 56,000 people.
“Over the past three years, we have invested £510 million in building 1,850 safe, warm and affordable social homes in our communities, to meet increasing demands. We’ve also invested in our current homes to the tune of £256 million.
“But our role goes well above simply bricks and mortar. Good housing is the catalyst for a number of key priority areas, including health, education, social care, economy and the Welsh language.
“At the heart of our work is supporting tenants to deal with issues such as the cost of living, health and wellbeing, and providing opportunities to help our tenants to thrive through training and employment opportunities.
“The conference was a great opportunity to raise awareness of this valuable work and demonstrate how we make a difference to people’s lives everyday, but to continue doing that requires greater funding and a longer term strategy for supporting housing”.
Community Housing Cymru’s Deputy CEO Clarissa Corbisiero said:
“This joint session at Plaid Party Conference demonstrates how determined and united our sector is to take action itself to reduce the pressures of rising costs on tenants across Wales.
“However housing associations alone cannot fully offset wider pressures on household incomes arising from including high food and energy costs, debt, and low wages, and there is growing concern for tenants’ welfare ahead of winter.
“Both Welsh and UK governments must strengthen household incomes and the social safety net, including improvements to Universal Credit, the Discretionary Assistance Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments.
“This must be accompanied by increased investment to increase the amount of social housing available. We can build the homes Wales needs and turn the housing recovery into reality, giving more people the security of a safe place to call home.”
Cymdeithasau tai yn galw am fwy o gefnogaeth i drigolion Gogledd Cymru sy’n wynebu pwysau costau byw
Mae cymdeithasau tai yng Ngogledd Cymru a Cartrefi Cymunedol Cymru wedi galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru am fwy o fuddsoddiad mewn cartrefi cymdeithasol a fforddiadwy, yn ogystal â chymorth ariannol ehangach i helpu tenantiaid i ymdopi â chostau bwyd ac ynni cynyddol a chynnal tenantiaethau hirdymor.
Wrth siarad yng nghynhadledd Plaid Cymru yn Llandudno heddiw (Dydd Gwener, 2 Hydref), daeth Adra, Cartrefi Conwy, ClwydAlyn, Grŵp Cynefin a Tai Gogledd Cymru ynghyd â Cartrefi Cymunedol Cymru i dynnu sylw at y pwysau cynyddol sy’n wynebu llawer o denantiaid, a’r gefnogaeth hanfodol sy’n cael ei darparu i helpu pobl i reoli costau cartref, gwella gwydnwch ariannol a chynnal eu lles.
Dywedodd Iwan Trefor Jones, Prif Weithredwr Adra; Adrian Johnson, Prif Weithredwr Cartrefi Conwy; Clare Budden, Prif Weithredwr ClwydAlyn; Mel Evans, Prif Weithredwr Grŵp Cynefin a Helena Kirk, Prif Weithredwr Tai Gogledd Cymru:
“Mae tai cymdeithasol yn sector sy’n tyfu yng Ngogledd Cymru ac, gyda’n gilydd, rydym yn darparu 26,500 o gartrefi ar draws y rhanbarth ar gyfer 56,000 o bobl.
“Dros y tair blynedd diwethaf, rydym wedi buddsoddi £510 miliwn i adeiladu 1,850 o gartrefi cymdeithasol diogel, cynnes a fforddiadwy yn ein cymunedau, er mwyn diwallu’r galw cynyddol. Rydym hefyd wedi buddsoddi £256 miliwn yn ein cartrefi presennol.
“Ond mae ein rôl yn ymestyn ymhell y tu hwnt i ddarparu cartrefi yn unig. Mae tai da yn sbardun ar gyfer nifer o feysydd blaenoriaeth allweddol, gan gynnwys iechyd, addysg, gofal cymdeithasol, yr economi a’r iaith Gymraeg.
“Wrth wraidd ein gwaith mae cefnogi tenantiaid i ymdopi â materion fel costau byw, iechyd a lles, a darparu cyfleoedd i helpu ein tenantiaid i ffynnu drwy gyfleoedd hyfforddi a chyflogaeth.”
“Roedd y gynhadledd yn gyfle gwych i godi ymwybyddiaeth o’r gwaith gwerthfawr hwn ac i ddangos sut rydym yn gwneud gwahaniaeth i fywydau pobl bob dydd; fodd bynnag, mae angen mwy o gyllid a strategaeth hirdymor ar gyfer cefnogi tai er mwyn parhau i wneud hynny.”
Dywedodd Dirprwy Brif Weithredwr Cartrefi Cymunedol Cymru, Clarissa Corbisiero:
“Mae’r sesiwn ar y cyd hon yng Nghynhadledd Plaid Cymru yn dangos pa mor benderfynol ac unedig yw ein sector i weithredu ei hun i leihau’r pwysau sy’n deillio o gostau cynyddol ar denantiaid ledled Cymru.”
“Fodd bynnag, ni all cymdeithasau tai ar eu pennau eu hunain wrthbwyso’n llawn y pwysau ehangach ar incymau aelwydydd sy’n deillio o ffactorau fel costau uchel bwyd ac ynni, dyledion a chyflogau isel, ac mae pryder cynyddol ynghylch lles tenantiaid wrth i’r gaeaf agosáu.
“Rhaid i Lywodraethau Cymru a’r DU gryfhau incwm cartrefi a’r rhwyd ddiogelwch cymdeithasol, gan gynnwys gwelliannau i Gredyd Cynhwysol, y Gronfa Cymorth Ddewisol a Thaliadau Tai Dewisol.
“Rhaid i hyn gael ei ategu gan fwy o fuddsoddiad i gynyddu nifer y cartrefi cymdeithasol sydd ar gael. Gallwn adeiladu’r cartrefi sydd eu hangen ar Gymru a gwireddu’r adferiad tai, gan roi mwy o ddiogelwch i fwy o bobl drwy ddarparu lle diogel i’w alw’n gartref.”
