The early period of any new government inevitably provides for a strange mixture of opportunity and challenge. As days and weeks turn into months in office, one of these challenges inevitably becomes the call from stakeholders for greater clarity on the plans and promises made during both an election campaign and those early days of office. In this context, the publication of the new Welsh Government’s Programme for government 2026 to 2030 is a major milestone, and one that deserves proper scrutiny and consideration.
The Programme – which builds on both the Plaid Cymru election manifesto and the 100 days plan – should provide some of that clarity we are looking for. From the perspective of Shelter Cymru this means clarity on key issues that overlap with the priorities we outlined in our own election manifesto such as:
- Delivering a person centred approach to homelessness, including through the implementation of the Homelessness and Social Housing Allocations (Wales) Act.
- Fixing our broken private rented sector, including bringing an end to no fault evictions and tackling the crisis of affordability.
- Building the social homes we need and ensuring a long-term pipeline for delivery.
- Embedding the international Right to Adequate Housing into law in Wales.
Considering the Programme for government in the context of these priorities gives us cause for optimism. In particular, the ongoing commitment to fair rents and legislating for home as a human right has the potential to be transformative in tackling some of the most significant root causes of the housing emergency in Wales and building a better housing future. Through our initial engagement with the Welsh Government on these issues, we are also reassured that serious work has begun on both.
The strong commitment to building on the success of the last government in increasing the supply of social homes is also positive. And while the recent announcement of a tighter definition of ‘social housing’ for the refreshed 20,000 home target will make meeting this more challenging it is a positive step.
Beyond some of the specific commitments we also welcome the apparent cross-government approach to tackling the housing emergency. Something that’s seen clearly in the section on ‘prevention of ill health’, which includes plans to:
“Make the renewal of Welsh housing stock a national mission, along with reforms to ensure greater security for renters and increased availability of social housing. Safe and adequate housing is an essential bedrock of health.”
And to:
“Embed a Housing First, trauma‑informed and person‑centred approach to tackling homelessness, ensuring our new homelessness legislation is implemented effectively and kept under review. Our Housing and Regeneration Strategy will be rooted in the ambition that everyone should have a safe and secure home.”
In both cases this shows a recognition of the foundational role that home plays in our lives. A recognition we also see in the decision to create a Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health.
Inevitably, the Programme for government doesn’t answer every question that we have as an organisation, and there remains a significant need for detailed plans to be published across a number of areas. Not least of these is the implementation of the new Homelessness and Social Housing Allocations (Wales) Act.
This legislation, which was passed by the last Welsh Government, with the support of Plaid Cymru and others, has huge potential to drive person centred improvements on homelessness prevention in Wales. However, to realise this potential will require adequate funding, extensive collaboration, and – crucially – clear timelines that balance the challenges of implementation with the urgent need to do more to tackle homelessness.
Overall, it’s clear that the new Welsh Government has high ambitions when it comes to housing, ambitions we welcome and look forward to supporting. However, with less than four years before the next election, the publication of the Programme for government must now act as a starting gun.
In the coming months we hope that the housing commitments it contains will be supplemented by the publication of a new housing strategy. Something that can help bring a new clarity to how different parts of housing – and wider – policy can collectively be used to drive the change that people in Wales so desperately need.
At Shelter Cymru we look forward to working on many of the government’s priority areas in the coming years, but as always, we intend to act as both a partner in delivery and a constructive voice. One that keeps clear focus on the people we exist to serve and our ultimate goal: ending the housing emergency in Wales.
