The staggering cost of Labour’s inability to tackle homelessness in Wales
Responding to an FOI that has revealed Cardiff Council spent £32,423,647 on Supported Temporary and Emergency Supported Accommodation in 2023-2024, Mark Isherwood MS, Shadow Housing Minister, said:
“This is a staggering amount of money that could be better spent on measures to prevent homelessness and move people into permanent residences.
“With homelessness increasing under Labour in Wales, clearly throwing millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money at temporary solutions is simply not the answer.
“The Welsh Government must adopt more effective and sustainable approaches to address homelessness and rough sleeping that ensure long-term stability and support for affected individuals and families, Labour’s current plans are clearly not working.”
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We are strongly committed to moving from a position of reliance on temporary accommodation to a system focused on prevention and rapid rehousing.
“This will include legislation during this Senedd term as well as continued investment in records sums to deliver additional homes for rent in the social sector.
“We continue to take a ‘no one left out approach’ to homelessness so that people are not forced to sleep rough in Wales.
“We’ve put in place new regulations and additional funding to support this and our wider ambition to end all forms of homelessness.”
When there are 48 organisations known to the Welsh Government that count to helping the homeless
Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council
£1,052,354
Caerphilly County Borough Council
£5,904,646
Cardiff Council
£32,423,647
Flintshire County Council
£5,370,957
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council
£2,671,835.00
Monmouthshire County Council
£3,838,181
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
£4,307,802
Newport City Council
£3,282,691 (net)
Powys County Council
£3,201,186.88
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
£1,008,601 (net of HB)
City and County of Swansea
£4,327,024
Torfaen County Borough Council
£1,188,097.17
If you are worried you might have nowhere to live, please contact Rhondda Cynon Taf’s Housing Advice Centre (HAC) on: 01443 495188. email: Homelessness@rctcbc.gov.uk. visit the Housing Advice Centre in person at Sardis House, Pontypridd, CF37 1DU.
