Houses owned by housing associations and local authorities have to be in good condition as part of the housing quality standard.
All social housing must be updated and kept in good condition. Housing associations and local authorities with council houses are responsible for this.
The deadline for achieving the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) was the end of December 2020 with a small number of social landlords being granted an extension to December 2021 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Social landlords must maintain the WHQS on an ongoing basis.
To meet the standard, houses must be:
- in a good state of repair
- safe and secure
- adequately heated, fuel efficient and well insulated
- contain up to date kitchens and bathrooms
- well managed (for rented housing)
- located in attractive and safe environments
- where possible, suitable for the specific needs of those living there, such as those with disabilities
A public consultation on proposals for an update to WHQS was open from 11th May to 3rd August 2022. The responses to this consultation are currently being reviewed. Details of the outcome will be published here in due course.
We administer 2 funds to help housing associations and local authorities with council houses:
- major repairs allowance
- dowry gap funding
Major repairs allowance
We give funding to 11 local authorities who manage and look after their council houses.
Funding 2022 to 2023
- Isle of Anglesey £2,688,000
- Denbighshire £2,373,000
- Flintshire £4,978,000
- Wrexham £7,524,000
- Powys £3,723,000
- Pembrokeshire £3,997,000
- Carmarthenshire £6,196,000
- Vale of Glamorgan £2,773,000
- Cardiff £9,568,000
- Caerphilly £7,296,000
- Swansea £9,283,000
Dowry gap funding
We give funding to 10 housing associations to help them improve their houses. These housing associations were set up when local authorities transferred their council houses.
Funding 2022 to 2023
- Trivallis (formerly RCT Homes) £7,300,000
- Newport City Homes £6,500,000
- Tai Tarian (formerly NPT Homes) £6,200,000
- Bron Afon Community Housing £5,800,000
- Tai Calon £4,200,000
- Adra (formerly Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd) £4,100,000
- Merthyr Valleys Homes £2,900,000
- Cartrefi Conwy £2,600,000
- Monmouthshire Housing Association £2,600,000
- Barcud £1,600,000