It's clear that there is a housing crisis across North Wales and beyond. Young people, in particular, are at the sharp end of this. When someone isn't able to buy a property, it makes life more difficult to plan. It makes people less likely to have children and start a family, which sends shockwaves through the rest of our society.
In Wales, housing policy is devolved to the Welsh Government in Cardiff Bay. That means the Labour Party have responsibility for housing across Wales. You may not be surprised to hear that they are failing to enable enough houses to be built, which is making the housing crisis much worse.
This is of course bad for 'Generation Rent', but it is also bad for those who are homeless or who need temporary accommodation. Across the whole of Wales around 13,000 people are currently in temporary accommodation, such as bed and breakfasts or hotels. There aren't the homes for them to move into permanently, and it doesn’t look like there will be anytime soon.
Cardiff Labour's housing policies aren't working in a number of ways. For example in in North Wales, around 1,000 social homes aren't being built because of Labour's policies on phosphates. Over the border in England, Conservative housing policy means those particular phosphate restrictions don't exist, allowing more homes to be built.
I asked the First Minister about these issues last week. He offered me warm words, but the statistics don't back him up. It should be obvious that more homes being built is better for society, and better for generations to come. Unfortunately, the First Minister doesn’t really have any answers, and has decided to prioritise targeting visitors to Wales with a Tourism Tax which is designed to keep people away.
Let's have some common sense in Government and build those homes!
As ever, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can contact me by emailing [email protected] or calling on 0300 200 7267.
Fy marn i - The Leader
Mae’n amlwg bod argyfwng tai ar draws gogledd Cymru a thu hwnt. Mae pobl ifanc, yn arbennig, yn dioddef. Pan nad yw rhywun yn gallu prynu eiddo, mae’n anoddach iddyn nhw gynllunio eu bywydau. Mae’n peri i bobl fod yn llai tebygol o gael plant a dechrau teulu, ac mae hynny yn ei dro yn cael effaith ddilynol ar weddill cymdeithas.
Yng Nghymru, mae polisi tai wedi’i ddatganoli i Lywodraeth Cymru ym Mae Caerdydd. Mae hynny’n golygu bod gan y Blaid Lafur gyfrifoldeb am dai ar draws Cymru. Efallai nad yw’n syndod clywed eu bod yn methu â sicrhau bod digon o dai yn cael eu hadeiladu, ac mae hynny’n gwneud yr argyfwng tai yn llawer gwaeth.
Mae hyn yn gwneud drwg i’r genhedlaeth rentu, wrth gwrs, ond mae hefyd yn amharu ar bobl ddigartref neu sydd angen llety dros dro. Ledled Cymru, mae tua 13,000 o bobl mewn llety dros dro ar hyn o bryd, er enghraifft gwely a brecwast neu westai. Nid oes cartrefi parhaol ar gael ar eu cyfer, ac mae’n annhebygol y bydd y sefyllfa honno’n newid yn fuan.
Mae polisïau tai Llafur ym Mae Caerdydd yn ddiffygiol mewn sawl ffordd. Yn y Gogledd, er enghraifft, nid yw 1,000 o gartrefi cymdeithasol yn cael eu hadeiladu oherwydd polisïau Llafur ar ffosffadau. Dros y ffin yn Lloegr, mae polisi tai y Ceidwadwyr yn golygu nad yw’r cyfyngiadau ffosffad penodol hynny’n bodoli, gan ganiatáu adeiladu mwy o gartrefi.
Holais y Prif Weinidog am y materion hyn yr wythnos diwethaf. Roedd ei ymateb yn ddigon cynnes, ond mae’r ystadegau yn tanseilio ei ddadl. Dylai fod yn amlwg bod adeiladu mwy o gartrefi yn llesol i gymdeithas, ac yn llesol i’r cenedlaethau i ddod. Yn anffodus, nid oes atebion gan y Prif Weinidog, ac mae wedi penderfynu blaenoriaethu targedu ymwelwyr â Chymru gyda Threth Twristiaeth sydd wedi’i chynllunio i gadw pobl draw.
Gadewch i’r Llywodraeth gael pwl o synnwyr cyffredin ac adeiladu’r tai sydd eu hangen!
Fel arfer, mae croeso i chi gysylltu â mi. E-bostiwch [email protected] neu ffoniwch 0300 200 7267.
