THE Welsh Government is due to surpass its target of building 20,000 affordable homes during this Senedd term, housing minister Julie James has said.
The latest figures, released on Wednesday, show just under 3,000 new affordable homes were delivered in the 2019-20 financial year - bringing the total number of homes delivered to 19,000.
This means the 20,000 target should be passed upon the release of the next set of official statistics, which will be published in the autumn.
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Ms James said: “I’m thrilled to say we will comfortably hit our affordable homes target this term. The increase in affordable housing is a direct result of our record investment in housing during this term.
“These are high-quality, energy efficient, warm homes, which have been built to last and, really importantly, are also affordable to run.
“The last year has been challenging for everyone and it is fantastic to see that despite the pandemic and the impact it has had on house builders and Registered Social Landlords, we have still been able to build much-needed affordable homes at pace and scale.
“Our own data tells us that we have hit and exceeded the 20,000 target.
“Affordable, secure and quality housing is at the heart of any community – enabling people and families to flourish in all aspects of their lives. We will not stop at 20,000 and we will continue to deliver housing for those who need it.”
The Welsh Government has invested more than £2 billion in housing across Wales this Senedd term. Funding will continue in the next financial year with more than £200 million earmarked for building homes that people can afford to buy and live in.
Joanna Davoile, director of development at Wales and West Housing, said: “Having a comfortable, safe and genuinely affordable home is more important than ever. Wales and West Housing is committed to helping Welsh Government meet its target of building 20,000 affordable homes by the end of the current Senedd term.
“We plan to build 2,500 homes over the next five years and have more than 900 new homes already under construction across Wales.
“Our affordable housing developments will support the local construction economy in Wales and create communities where our residents will be able to thrive.”
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