The right to adequate housing in Wales
One in three people in Wales live in unsafe or unaffordable housing. The pandemic has highlighted these inequalities in the housing sector as lockdowns have led to people in Wales spending prolonged amounts of time at home. In November 2021, the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru committed the Welsh Government to publishing a White Paper on proposals for introducing a right to adequate housing in Wales.
Earlier in 2021, our team was commissioned by Tai Pawb, the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and Shelter Cymru to explore the social and economic impact of introducing the right to adequate housing in Wales. The project consisted of two phases. The first phase of our research explored the evidence base on the right to adequate housing, including case studies of introducing similar rights to housing and policies in other countries. During the second phase, we carried out Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) of progressively introducing the right in Wales.
The findings in the Phase 1 report concluded that, whilst most of the case study countries have already gone further than Wales in terms of passed legislation and future law-making ambitions, there were areas for improvement in all the case studies. This provides an opportunity for Wales to use lessons learnt to become an international exemplar in establishing and realising the right.
In our CBA, we modelled a specific scenario for the progressive realisation of the right to adequate housing in Welsh law. Our study found that this scenario would generate socio-economic benefits that significantly outweigh the costs. Incurring costs of £5 billion for the right to be progressively realised over ten years is expected to generate £11.5 billion in economic and social benefits over a 30-year period. Investing £1 in providing adequate housing in Wales would generate around £2.30 in benefits.
Ending homelessness and making housing adaptations can generate around £1 billion in cost savings for NHS Wales over a 30-year period due to reduced use of drug and alcohol treatment and reduced need for mental health services, as well as benefits due to a reduction in accidents in the home. The introduction of the right in Wales will support current plans toward a Healthier Wales and contribute to putting NHS Wales onto a sustainable path. Supporting homeless households to move out of unemployment could generate an additional economic output of around £900 million over 30 years. Regarding cost savings to the criminal justice system, we estimated that around £1.3 billion could be saved. Additionally, access to adequate housing can lead to reduced crime, thus fewer victims of crime and enhanced community safety.
Other aspects of improving housing adequacy include minimising the risk of eviction. This could generate feelings of security, improved housing conditions and, consequently, enhanced physical and mental health. Increasing the housing supply could also increase affordability, resulting in improved nutrition and healthcare, housing stability, reduced stress, increased self-esteem, life satisfaction and a sense of security.
Introducing the right to adequate housing in Wales will give everyone the right to access safe drinking water, energy for cooking, heating and lighting, sanitation, washing facilities and food, which will help improve health, security, comfort and nutrition in Wales. Additionally, ‘cultural adequacy’, that is, houses being constructed in such a way that allows people to live according to their cultural identity and diversity, is expected to lower existing inequalities for some population groups in accessing adequate housing.
Our research was presented to the Senedd, the Welsh Parliament, in September 2022. Our work will inform the Back the Bill campaign, following the commitment of the Welsh Government to publish a White Paper on proposals for introducing the right to adequate housing in Wales.
Read our evidence review here.
Read our Cost Benefit Analysis here.