Back the Bill – the right to a good home in Wales

 

Wales is in the midst of a housing crisis. Demand significantly outstrips supply. Many people are unable to afford homes in their local communities. And, for some, the suitability – and safety – of their home is grossly inadequate. It was the housing crisis that  contributed to the tragic circumstances of the Grenfell fire in North London in 2017, claiming 72 lives. We must put measures in place to avoid this ever happening again.

We believe that at the core of any solution to the housing crisis is a national commitment to the fundamental principle that every one of us should have a human right – underpinned by law – to access adequate and sustainable housing. Our Feasibility Report showed the route map to how to achieve this and the next step of our call is a Draft Bill incorporating Right to Adequate Housing into Welsh law.  

Find out more

Read the draft bill in English

Read the draft bill in Welsh

A Bill for the right to adequate housing would create a legislative framework to help address some of the key issues of the day:

Homelessness: ensuring we build on some of the measures taken during the COVID-19 crisis, including maximising investment in social housing and support

Security of tenure: strengthening the position of Welsh Government in its rights-based approach, better balancing the rights of tenants to live in security with those of private landlords

Accessible housing: ensuring proper consideration of disabled people’s rights in a housing context, giving them a voice to have those rights recognised and, if needed, enforced

Black, Asian and minority ethnic people, young people and other minority or disadvantaged groups’ access to affordable housing: where local authorities would need to consider the needs of particularly disadvantaged groups in the development of local strategies and the supply of affordable homes

Resource: will push housing up the policy priority list and in turn ensure increased focus of resource and investment, tackling the chronic under-supply of housing as well as support services

 

The right to adequate housing in Wales: Feasibility Report

On 18th of June 2019 Tai Pawb, CIH Cymru and Shelter Cymru launched a jointly-commissioned report from Alma Economics looking at the positive impacts that incorporating the UN-enshrined right to adequate housing would have in Wales in helping to tackle the housing crisis.

Full Report 

Exec Summary

The right to adequate housing in Wales: the evidence base

Phase 1 of our research looked at international comparisons. While there has been a mix of approaches in using rights-based legislation for housing – including in South Africa, Canada and sub-regional parts of Spain, results are varied; Finland was shown to be making good progress. Learning lessons from other countries, the research has demonstrated that Wales has the opportunity to lead the way and become a world-leader in its approach to housing as a human right.

Phase 1 report – Executive Summary English

Phase 1 report – Full Report English 

Phase 1 report – Executive Summary Cymraeg

Phase 1 report –Full Report Cymraeg 

The right to adequate housing in Wales: cost-benefit analysis

Phase 2 of our research has looked at how introducing a right to adequate housing would generate significant savings for the public purse. The report considered various policy areas where benefits would be generated, including in health and well-being, the criminal justice system and local authorities. Based on projections in this paper, the benefits could start to outweigh the costs after just six years.

Phase 2 – full report in English

Phase 2 – full report yn Gymraeg

Pledge your support

We ask you to join us in calling for housing to be recognised as a fundamental right in Wales by filling in the form below to become a signatory to the Draft Bill:

Read our full privacy policy here

(this list is updated periodically)

Alicja Zalesinska
CEO, Tai Pawb

Matthew Dicks
Director, CIH Cymru

Ruth Power
Director, Shelter Cymru

John Puzey
Individual

Sophie Howe
Future Generations Commissioner, Wales

Michael Sheen
Actor and activist

Mark Isherwood MS
On behalf of the Welsh Conservatives

Jane Dodds
On behalf of the Welsh Liberal Democrats

Delyth Jewell MS
On behalf of Plaid Cymru

Clare Budden
CEO, Clwyd Alyn

Victoria Slade
CEO, Cynon Taf Community Housing

Ffrancon Williams
CEO, Adra

Paula Kennedy
CEO, Melin Homes

Hayley Selway
CEO, Cardiff Community Housing Assoc.

Jason Wroe
CEO, Newydd Housing

Sian Morgan
CEO, Hafan Cymru

Jas Bains
CEO, Hafod Group

Karen Courts
CEO, Merthyr Tydfil Housing Assoc.

Andrew Bowden
CEO, Cartrefi Conwy

Shan Williams
CEO, Grwp Cynefin

Adrian Burke
CEO, First Choice Housing Assoc.

Scott Sanders
CEO, Linc Cymru

Marcia Sinfeld
CEO, Family Housing Assoc.

Amanda Davies
Group CEO, Pobl

Nick Hampshire
CEO, Ateb

Cerys Furlong
CEO, Chwarae Teg

Helena Kirk
CEO, North Wales Housing

Michelle Reid
CEO, Merthyr Valleys Homes

Luke Takeuchi
CEO, RHA Wales

Lynda Sagona
CEO, United Welsh

Dr Lindsay Cordery-Bruce
CEO, The Wallich

Frances Beecher
CEO, Llamau & Chair, EYHC

Victoria Winckler
Director, Bevan Foundation

Jon Sparkes
CEO, Crisis

Katie Dalton
Director, Cymorth Cymru

Kath Palmer
CEO, Cadwyn

David Wilton
Director, TPAS Cymru

Hugh Russell
End Youth Homelessness Cymru (EYHC)

Catherine Fookes
Director, WEN Wales

Rebecca Woolley
Director, CAB Cymru

Prof Geraldine Van Bueren QC
Queen Mary University of London

Dr Helen Taylor
Cardiff Metropolitan University

Rocio Cifuentes
CEO, EYST

Allison Hulmes
National Director, BASW

Zoe Richards
CEO, Learning Disability Wales

Zoё King
Acting Joint CEO, Diverse Cymru

Owain Hanmer
Education Officer, Undod

Jess McQuail
Director, Just Fair

Dr Pete Mackie
Cardiff University

Judith Bueno de Mesquita
University of Essex

Dr Kolda Casla
University of Essex

Prof. Colin Harvey
Queen’s University Belfast

Dr Luke D. Graham
Lecturer in Law, Coventry University

Dr Meghan Campbell
Deputy Director, Oxford Human Rights Hub

Dr Azadeh Chalabi
University of Liverpool

Dr Claire Lougarre
University of Southampton

Kelly Roberts
Together Creating Communities

Sian Summers-Rees
Chief Officer, City of Sanctuary UK

Joy Kent
Independent consultant

Keith Edwards
Independent consultant

Bill Rowlands
Individual

Joy Williams
Individual

Acorn Cardiff
Community union

Miriam Merkova
Individual

Leanne Lewis
Individual

Hannah Mason
Individual

Prof Rory O’Connell
Ulster University

Dave O’Connor
Individual

Katyanne Denby
Individual

Farida Aslam
Individual

Paul Diggory
Individual

Claire White
Individual

Carol Kay
Individual

Hayley Jones
Individual

Joshua Dowdall
Individual

Jonathan Conway
Individual

Hayley Broad
Individual

Natalie Warner
Individual

Gareth Leech
Individual

Faye Patton
Individual

“If not now, then when? If not us, then who?”

Watch former Director of Shelter Cymru John Puzey speaking to Future Generations Commissioner Sophie Howe about the Back the Bill campaign and why it is crucial that a right to adequate housing be enshrined into Welsh Law

 

Support us on social media

Tai Pawb

Shelter Cymru

CIH Cymru

Don’t forget to tag us and #BacktheBill 

Here are some suggested tweets to show your support:

Individual

 

I believe in a Wales where the threats of homelessness, inaccessibility and unaffordability are things of the past #BacktheBill

 

I #BacktheBill for the right to a good home in Wales. Every one of us should have a human right – underpinned by law – to access adequate and sustainable housing

 

Organisation

 

We #BacktheBill to recognise #housing as a fundamental right in Wales

 

We #BacktheBill for a right to a good home in Wales, helping address some of the key #housing issues of the day such as homelessness, accessibility and affordability

 

 

Add the Back the Bill twibbon to your profile picture here