The Barriers to Building Social Housing Must be Addressed

The demand for social housing in Wales is greater than ever. Across the country, more than 145,000 people are on waiting lists, and homelessness figures remain deeply concerning, with around 13,000 to 14,000 households many of them with children living in temporary accommodation.  

The need is clear, and housing associations like Adra are committed to meeting it. 

However, delivering new social housing at pace is becoming increasingly difficult. There are many challenges, but one of them is the planning system. Many local authorities in North Wales do not have up-to-date local development plans, which is delaying the allocation of land for housing. Plans can take as long as seven or eight years to be adopted, by which time they may already be out of date. Without a clear pipeline of land, bringing forward new developments becomes far more difficult. 

The planning process itself also presents challenges. Decisions on individual applications are often delayed due to resource shortages in planning departments, and the technical complexity of applications is increasing. Issues such as sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) require specialist knowledge, yet some planning authorities lack the expertise to deal with them efficiently. 

These delays have a knock-on effect. At Adra, we typically build around 200 new social homes per year, but the uncertainty around planning can impact our ability to draw down grant funding, making it harder to deliver new homes.  

There is also a risk of misalignment between different parts of local government. While housing departments understand the urgent need for more homes, planning departments  often under-resourced can struggle to prioritise housing applications. 

Another issue is the uncertainty around strategic land use planning. Wales has introduced Corporate Joint Committees, which will take on responsibility for strategic planning at a regional level. However, there is still a lack of clarity about how this will work in practice, who will be accountable, and how housing providers like Adra can align our business plans with these new structures. 

The need for social housing is not only about numbers. It is also about the type of homes being built. An ageing population means there is growing demand for smaller homes, particularly one- and two-bedroom apartments. These allow older residents to downsize, freeing up larger homes for families. This kind of ‘right-sizing’ approach is an increasingly important part of social housing strategy, but it requires careful planning and a supply of suitable properties. 

Welsh Government has set ambitious targets: 20,000 new low-carbon social homes by 2026, alongside major investment in upgrading existing housing stock to meet the Welsh Housing Quality Standard. Both goals are important, but there is a real risk that they will stretch resources too far. Some housing associations may have to scale back their development programmes to focus on improving existing homes. 

This creates a potential conflict. If providers are forced to choose between building new homes and upgrading current stock, the wider housing crisis will continue. The reality is that Wales needs both – new homes to meet growing demand and investment in existing homes to improve quality and energy efficiency. Achieving both goals will require significant long-term and careful planning. 

If we are to make progress, the planning system must be reformed. Local development plans need to be updated more quickly and be relevant to existing social and economic trends, planning departments need better resourcing, and there must be clearer guidance on strategic planning at a regional level. Without these changes, the already challenging task of delivering social housing in Wales will only become more difficult and costly.