£250m towards 20,000 low carbon homes for rent in Wales

The Welsh Government has doubled its spending on social housing for rent, committing an initial £250 million in 2021 to 2022 for 20,000 new low carbon homes.

The plans will address a rising demand for housing and the climate crisis, providing good quality and affordable green homes to those who need them. All homes will be built to bold new quality and environmental standards with the aim for some of the stock to go beyond net zero and produce more energy than they use.

Visiting one of Wales’ first ‘positive energy’ social housing schemes today, the Minister for Climate Change who is responsible for housing, Julie James, said Wales and West Housing’s Rhiw Cefn Gwlad scheme in Bridgend was ‘an exemplar’ for developers, housing associations and councils to follow. The 14 home development has made use of the latest technical innovations in renewable energy, from exhaust air heat pumps integrated with mechanical ventilation, to large solar photovoltaic roof systems coupled with a Tesla battery system.

James said: “Hearing how much Cai, Allyn and other residents have been saving on their household bills today, and the difference their new, high quality home has made to their wellbeing, reinforces my confidence that our ambitious housing plan is going to make a real difference to the people of Wales.

“We have doubled our money, committing a quarter of a billion pounds this financial year, so we can get on and build 20,000 new low carbon homes for rent. This goes beyond Welsh housing need estimates. We are building at scale to address the supply and demand imbalance, homelessness, the growing second homes crisis, and the climate emergency. We are building high quality homes to make a difference to people’s quality of living. And we are ensuring the decisions we make today are the right ones for our future generations.”