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More than three-quarters of people in Wales support a legal right to housing, survey finds
Roughly three in four people in Wales believe that everyone should have the legal right to an adequate home, a poll by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Cymru has revealed.
A poll of 1,011 adult in Wales found that 77% of people support a legal right to housing, while 83% felt it was the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone had access to a decent home.
Two-thirds (66%) of respondents felt more affordable housing was needed in their local area, while almost half (47%) said they would like to see more social housing built near them.
Almost 20% of respondents identified housing as a key priority area for the Welsh government, while 49% felt there should be more balance in public spending priorities.
The survey also revealed that negative attitudes towards social housing still persist, as 43% of respondents said they would never like to live in social housing.
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Over half (57%) of respondents said social housing estates suffer from high levels of anti-social behaviour and crime, while 38% said social housing “is where we hide people with problems”.
CIH Cymru alongside Shelter Cymru and Tai Pawb have been campaigning for over 18 months for the right to adequate housing to be incorporated into Welsh law. A similar campaign is being run by housing bodies in Scotland.
The Welsh Conservatives, Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Liberal Democrats have all said they intend to include legislation for the right to housing within their manifestos ahead of the Senedd elections in May.
Commenting on today’s research, Matt Dicks, director of CIH Cymru, said: “The Welsh public are loud and clear in saying we should all have a right to a decent, affordable, safe place to call home.
“People are understandably worried about the COVID-19 pandemic, but with the outbreak having shone such a vivid light on the consequences of not being able to access a safe home, now is the time to act and use the momentum provided by this public endorsement to make real, lasting, impactful change.”
“So today we reiterate our own manifesto call, ahead of next year’s Senedd elections, for all political parties in Wales to commit to legislating for a right to housing in the next Senedd term.”
Alicja Zalesinska, director of Tai Pawb, said: “This data shows overwhelming public support for the right to adequate housing which we simply cannot ignore.
“The people of Wales have spoken – this is clearly a sign of a growing public concern about homelessness, about the state of housing and its impact on our lives.
“Since we launched our report over a year ago, we have been calling for a fundamental shift in housing by making it a human right in Wales – the people of Wales have made that shift and it is time for politicians to follow.”
Ruth Power, chief executive of Shelter Cymru, said: “Every day we work with people who are dealing with the trauma of homelessness.
“They are at the sharp end of the lack of secure, affordable, good-quality homes that affect people across Wales. We believe, along with the vast majority of people in Wales, that a good home is essential for everyone.
“Bringing the right to a good home into Welsh law will drive future governments to prioritise and invest in the housing that people need. This will have positive knock-on effects for the health, employment, education and well-being of people and communities across Wales. We all have a shared interest in making this happen.”
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