The challenges of accelerating social housing development in Wales, from planning delays and funding uncertainty to rising construction costs and new investment opportunities, are explored in the first episode of a new Business News Wales podcast series.
Building Communities brings together leading voices from the housing and professional services sectors to examine what needs to change if Wales is to deliver more social and affordable homes while creating stronger, sustainable communities.
Produced by Business News Wales, the opening episode features Rhea Stevens, Head of Policy and External Affairs at Community Housing Cymru; Iwan Trefor Jones, Chief Executive of Adra; Bethan Evans, Partner at Menzies; and Liz Gibbons, Salaried Partner at Devonshires Solicitors LLP.
The discussion takes place against the backdrop of the Welsh Government’s stated ambition to support the delivery of 20,000 additional social homes by 2030, a commitment that places renewed emphasis on the ability of housing associations, local authorities, developers and the wider construction industry to bring forward viable schemes.
While the sector has demonstrated its capacity to increase delivery, the guests identify a combination of structural and financial challenges that could determine whether future ambitions can be achieved.
Rhea Stevens highlights the importance of building on recent progress while recognising the urgency of housing need across Wales. She argues that the country requires a more coordinated, long-term approach to housing delivery, supported by predictable investment and practical action to remove longstanding barriers.
The importance of financial certainty is a recurring theme throughout the conversation. Housing developments can take several years to progress from identifying land to completing construction, yet organisations must frequently plan around shorter funding cycles.
Bethan Evans examines the consequences of this uncertainty from a financial and commercial perspective, explaining how planning delays, rising costs and difficulties forecasting cash flow can increase risk for developers and construction businesses.
The discussion also considers the competing investment pressures facing housing associations.
Drawing on Adra’s experience in North Wales, Iwan Trefor Jones outlines the challenges of delivering new properties while continuing to maintain and improve existing housing stock. He also explores the potential for alternative sources of investment, including pension funds, to support future housing development.
From a legal and property perspective, Liz Gibbons emphasises the importance of addressing development risks before projects are fully committed. She argues that bringing landowners, housing providers, funders, infrastructure organisations and professional advisers together at an earlier stage could improve the prospects of schemes progressing successfully.
The proposed national housing development body also features prominently in the conversation, with guests considering how it could help unlock development land, coordinate infrastructure, improve access to finance and strengthen the Welsh construction supply chain.
Beyond the immediate challenge of building more homes, the episode examines the wider role of social housing in supporting community wellbeing, local economic development and regeneration.
Building Communities: The Future of Social Housing in Wales is the first episode in a Business News Wales podcast series exploring the challenges and opportunities shaping the Welsh housing sector.
