My fellow councillors and I have heard from hundreds of local people worrying about keeping a roof over their heads.

The cost-of-living crisis can hardly be exaggerated, and with the other changes which came in at the start of this month (April) the pressure on many has risen even higher.

As an example, there is an increasing gap between what ordinary people can afford to pay for their accommodation and what some landlords charge. And rising interest rates have put so many of those with mortgages under huge pressure.

If you are worried, the right thing to do is to get advice and help as soon as possible.

That is why in Monmouthshire we have expanded our own team who support people threatened with homelessness and we continue to support the amazing staff and volunteers at Citizens Advice.

You may not be aware but Monmouthshire has the biggest gap in Wales between rich and poor.

It is a feature which is made all the more stark by the fact that there are around 400 long-term empty homes in the county.

There may be many good reasons why a property stands empty for a while.

Perhaps it is being sold, or renovated, or the owner has passed away. But we are taking action where we can if there is not a very good reason to keep a potential home empty.

We are determined to bring such properties back into use.

After all, empty homes are not just a wasted opportunity: they are also a blight on the street or village, often becoming an eyesore and attracting vandals, and do nothing for the social fabric of the area.

So in Monmouthshire we launched a renewed drive to identify and work with the owners of empty properties, offering loans and grants to help them bring property back into use.

We are offering to lease properties to house homeless families. And we will also to use the new powers given to us by Welsh Government to charge a council tax surcharge of up to 300 per cent where necessary. It is a change will come into effect from next year. At least then property owners who choose to keep homes empty will pay towards the cost of housing homeless families.

Of course, bringing empty homes into use isn’t the only thing we have to do to tackle the housing crisis. We’re pursuing every option to build more social housing, catching up after years of under-investment.

Everyone deserves a secure home that can meet their needs.

That’s what we’re determined to deliver.