Ambitious council housing programme unveiled

22 March 2023

More than £159 million investment is planned as part of a five-year programme that will see new council homes built and improvements made to existing council homes, Powys County Council has said.

The council has unveiled its new "At Home in Powys - Housing Business Plan", which will be considered by Cabinet on Tuesday, 28 March.

The ambitious plan would see the council build more than 310 new council homes by 2027-28 as part of an investment package worth almost £79 million.

The plan also includes investment worth more than £31 million over the next five years in the council's existing homes to make sure they continue to meet the Welsh Housing Quality Standard, which requires houses owned by housing associations and local authorities to be in good condition.

Other programmes of work as part of the Housing Business Plan includes:

• Compliance One Hundred - More than £9.3 million to make sure all council homes and associated assets are 100% compliant with all relevant and applicable legislation and regulation;
• Green Powys - More than £15.6 million to increase fuel efficiency in council homes, reduce fuel poverty, help cut carbon emissions and tackle climate change. This will also include funding to encourage and support a greener future for council housing estates;
• Fit for Life - More than £6.8 million to make council homes better suited to the needs of older people and those with health-related needs that impair or adversely affect their mobility; and
• Love Where You Live - More than £7.9 million to improve the wellbeing of communities through improvements to council homes and estates.

Cllr Matthew Dorrance, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for a Fairer Powys, said: "This ambitious plan will help to tackle the housing emergency in the county by building high-quality council homes.

"At Home in Powys puts in place the money needed to make our homes more energy efficient for our tenants - tackling fuel poverty and ensuring council homes are doing their bit to tackle climate change.

"The plan also pledges continued investment in our existing council homes to make sure that we continue to meet the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.

"This plan will help build a stronger, fairer, greener future for Powys."