Housing and homelessness in Wales

Status / emerging findings

• Approximately 10,500 people in temporary accommodation in Wales, with average stays of 18–24 months (target: 6 months), indicating systemic failure to transition people to permanent housing
• Private rents in Wales rising 6% annually vs. 3% in England/Scotland; only 1% of private rentals affordable for people on Local Housing Allowance
• 90,000-household waiting list for social homes; children in temporary housing experiencing documented long-term trauma, educational disruption, and health impacts
• Planned abolition of priority need and intentionality tests delayed until 2030–2031, characterised by witnesses as unacceptably slow given their role as barriers to help

Why it matters

Wales faces a distinct housing crisis with rent inflation, social housing scarcity, and child welfare risks that differ markedly from England; the committee's findings will inform both devolved and UK Government policy on homelessness and housing supply.

Tone arc

Session opened cooperatively with sector consensus on scale and drivers; witnesses unified in arguing current timelines for legislative reform are inadequate, pivoting from procedural discussion toward urgency framing.

Key witnesses

Cymorth Cymru, Bevan Foundation, Crisis, Shelter Cymru, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions