Janet Finch-Saunders, Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy, is alarmed by the latest figures from Conwy County Borough Council detailing their expenditure on temporary accommodation.
Following a recent FOI, Conwy Council have spent £4,358,626 during the financial year 2023/24 on temporary accommodation. In 2022/23, the expenditure was just under £4 million, compared to just over £3 million the previous year, highlighting a steady increase over time. Since 2019, the figure has increased over 260%.
Homelessness in Wales has surged to alarming levels, with over 10,000 individuals, including 3,000 children, placed in temporary accommodation in 2023. This represents over 5,400 households, a 167% increase from 2,052 in 2018.
Commenting on the news Janet said:
“I would like to say I am shocked and surprised by this figure, but sadly I am not. Wales’s homelessness crisis has been on-going for many years now and I have been watching the spend of taxpayers money steadily increasing all this time.
“Homelessness is a critical indicator of a society's well-being, and it has become a widespread, systemic issue in Wales today. It breaks my heart to see more people sleeping rough or trapped in the cycle of temporary accommodation.
“I agree we need this safety net in place, no one should be forced to sleep on the street. However, clearly this is not sustainable. Hotels are being commandeered by the Council to make way for more individuals in need of temporary accommodation with little or no idea how they will move up out of it.
“Several constituents have shared with me their feelings of being trapped while in temporary accommodation. Without access to cooking or laundry facilities, they are forced to spend more of their limited budget on expensive ready meals and store-bought sandwiches, as well as costly laundrettes, making it nearly impossible to budget.
“This is becoming a full blown crisis. Those who need temporary accommodation need access to proper facilities, not just put up in hotels.”
ENDS
Mae Janet Finch-Saunders, yr Aelod o'r Senedd dros Aberconwy, wedi'i brawychu gan ffigurau diweddaraf Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy ynglŷn â’r gwariant ar lety dros dro.
Yn dilyn Gorchymyn Rhyddid Gwybodaeth diweddar, gwelwyd bod Cyngor Conwy wedi gwario £4,358,626 yn ystod blwyddyn ariannol 2023/24 ar lety dros dro. Yn 2022/23, roedd y gwariant ychydig yn llai na £4 miliwn, o gymharu ag ychydig dros £3 miliwn y flwyddyn flaenorol, sy'n gynnydd cyson dros amser. Ers 2019, mae'r ffigur wedi cynyddu dros 260%.
Mae digartrefedd yng Nghymru wedi cynyddu i lefelau brawychus, gyda 10,000 a mwy o unigolion, gan gynnwys 3,000 o blant, wedi'u lleoli mewn llety dros dro yn 2023. Mae hyn yn cynrychioli dros 5,400 o aelwydydd, cynnydd o 167% o gymharu â 2,052 yn 2018.
Wrth ymateb i'r newyddion, dywedodd Janet:
“Byddwn i'n hoffi dweud fy mod wedi fy syfrdanu a'm synnu'n llwyr gan y ffigur hwn, ond yn anffodus, dydw i ddim. Mae argyfwng digartrefedd Cymru wedi para ers blynyddoedd bellach ac rydw i wedi gweld gwariant arian trethdalwyr yn cynyddu'n raddol gydol y cyfnod hwn.
“Mae digartrefedd yn ddangosydd hanfodol o les cymdeithas, ac mae wedi datblygu'n broblem eang a systemig yng Nghymru bellach. Mae'n torri fy nghalon i weld mwy o bobl yn cysgu ar y stryd neu'n sownd mewn cylch o lety dros dro.
“Rwy'n cytuno bod angen y rhwyd ddiogelwch hon ar waith, oherwydd ddylai neb orfod cysgu ar y stryd. Ond allwn ni ddim parhau â hyn yn amlwg. Mae gwestai yn cael eu gorchymyn gan y Cyngor i neilltuo lle i fwy o unigolion sydd angen llety dros dro heb fawr o syniad pryd fyddan nhw'n symud allan.
“Mae sawl etholwr wedi cysylltu â mi i rannu eu teimladau o fod yn sownd mewn llety dros dro. Heb fynediad at gyfleusterau coginio neu olchi dillad, maen nhw'n cael eu gorfodi i wario mwy o'u harian prin ar brydau parod drud a brechdanau o'r siop, yn ogystal â golchdai drud, sy'n ei gwneud hi bron yn amhosib cyllidebu.
“Mae'n argyfwng anferth. Mae'r rhai sydd angen llety dros dro angen mynediad at gyfleusterau priodol, nid dim ond eu rhoi mewn gwestai.”
DIWEDD
