In a debate on housing today, the Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy - Janet Finch-Saunders MS/AS – urged the Welsh Government to “encourage aspiration” by extending Help to Buy to include buildings in need of renovation and to scrap land transaction tax for first-time buyers.
The intervention comes as a housing crisis continues in Wales, with estimates that North Wales needs as many as 1,400 additional homes annually over the next five years. However, the latest data on new dwellings completed show that only 1,284 were delivered.
Commenting after her contribution, Janet said:
“We have a real opportunity to get a grip on the present housing crisis, which needs immediate cross-party action so to be addressed. With Wales having witnessed the biggest house price growth in the UK, up by an average of 11% in the past year, steps must be taken so that first-time buyers can get onto the ladder.
“By extending Help to Buy to include buildings in need of renovation and working to scrap land transaction tax for first-time buyers, we can assuage the impact of growing buyer deposits and encourage aspiration among our young people. After all, to build a better Wales, we should use housing to give the Welsh economy a shot in the arm.
“With a house building shortfall across the nation, and to address the fact that new dwellings completed have fallen by a third since 1999, I have also urged the Welsh Government to set about creating a more attractive environment for builders to invest here, ensuring sites allocated in LDPs are built on before any contingency.
“There is also a key role for social housing in alleviating those at the sharp end of the housing crisis. As I said this afternoon, by restoring the Right-to-Buy in Wales, reinvesting sale proceeds into more social housing and protecting homes from sale for 10 years, we can empower many locals who are simply unable to rent or buy a home in their own community to have a place to call their own”
ENDS
Photo by Sandy Millar on Unsplash
