Welsh housing workforce ‘at breaking point’, CIH Cymru survey finds

However, more than 80% of staff surveyed at both local authorities and housing associations reported that their organisation provides support for their mental health and well-being.

Overall, housing association staff made up 64% of respondents, while 34% were from local authorities and 2% were from private landlords.

Staff included members of the executive team, housing officers, support workers, maintenance workers and professionals from the finance, governance and HR teams.

Inside Housing recently revealed that many social housing staff are battling housing insecurity and living in fear of homelessness, after surveying more than 200 staff across the UK.

CIH Cymru’s survey, which was carried out over the summer and received 181 responses, also found that 82% of respondents from local authorities are “not confident or unsure” whether the Welsh government will meet its target of 20,000 affordable homes by March 2026.

Overall, 71% of those surveyed were not confident or unsure that the target would be met, and 70% of the people who were not confident hold a senior leadership position.

For more than two-thirds of respondents, this was due to insufficient funding. They also cited “increased expectations” put on the sector by the government over housing supply, decarbonisation, the Welsh Housing Quality Standard and new homelessness legislation.

Some highlighted mergers as bringing about extra pressures and workloads.

One respondent said: “Costs have increased significantly. There is a skills shortage due to a lack of historical investment in the workforce and a lack of funding to explore modern methods of construction.”

CIH Cymru said respondents were “resoundingly clear” on what it would take to improve the situation, naming “more funding and for Welsh Government to be realistic when rolling out new legislation and policies”.

Matt Dicks, national director of CIH Cymru, said the evidence “clearly identifies a disconnect” between the Welsh government’s goals of building more, sustainable homes “and the investment and resource coming from government to deliver on those ambitions”.

“We need to invest more and look beyond this political cycle – to enshrine a right to a safe, affordable and sustainable place to call home into Welsh law. That’s the mechanism through which we change the paradigm and ensure housing professionals get the tools they need to do their job,” he added.

A Welsh government spokesperson said: “We recognise the very real challenges and pressures within the housing sector and the effects of some of the most challenging global events negatively impacting on supply chains and workforces. 

“Tackling homelessness and delivering more homes is a key priority for this government and we have set a challenging target and allocated record levels of funding this Senedd term, with more than £1.4bn invested so far.”

So far, 5,775 homes have been delivered towards the 20,000 target. Stuart Fitzgerald, deputy director of the Welsh government’s homes and places team, recently acknowledged that additional budget would be needed.

A recent report from Audit Wales predicted that the Welsh government would miss the target “without significant additional spending”.