February 2017
Price: £95 PLUS VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
This seminar brought together key policymakers with stakeholders including developers, housing associations, local authorities, mortgage lenders, surveyors and planning lawyers, charities and academics with an interest in this area to discuss key housing policy priorities for the new Welsh Government.
Delegates discussed the challenges for delivering key Welsh Government pledges including building an additional 20,000 affordable homes a year, ending ‘Right to Buy’ and introducing a new ‘Rent to Own’ model. They also considered other steps that might be taken to improve supply including addressing concerns of so-called ‘landbanking’; extending the ‘Houses into Homes’ scheme for converting empty homes and the particular issue of supply of housing for older people. Professor Judith Phillips, Chair of the Welsh Government’s Expert Group on Housing an Ageing Population discussed the groups’ findings at the seminar.
The conference also came ahead of the implementation of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 which introduces new forms of tenancy and new requirements from landlords. Delegates assessed the challenges for putting the Act’s requirements into practice, for enforcing it, and wider challenges in the rental market. Access to finance was also discussed including examining the impact of Help to Buy Wales so far and the likely effects of the UK-wide Help to Buy ISA scheme.