HOUSING Minister Sian Gwenllian set out Plaid Cymru’s priorities for local government, housing and planning today, promising 20,000 new social homes by 2030.

“A safe, warm, affordable home is something that everyone in Wales should have, and yet for thousands, this most basic of needs is out of reach,” she said.

Ms Gwenllian said that at the core of the housing crisis was a shortage of homes, leading to rising rents, and forcing families to live in unsuitable homes or leave their communities.

“I am determined to speed up the process of increasing the supply of social homes over this Senedd term, which will tackle homelessness, keep people out of unsuitable temporary accommodation, make housing more affordable and give people greater choice over where they live,” she said.

“We will support 20,000 new social homes by 2030, ensuring that they are high-quality and energy-efficient.”

The minister told the Senedd that she would establish a new national development body (Unnos) to enable an increase in social housing.

She also promised measures to protect renters and to ensure fair rent-setting.

“My intention is to bring forward proposals to legislate for the right to adequate housing for all and to establish a town centre taskforce within our first 100 days.”

Reform’s housing spokeswoman Francesca O’Brien said the minister’s response to a housing crisis was to set up a quango, while her party would tear up red tape and let builders build houses.

Ms O’Brien said the Federation of Master Builders had said Wales needs 7,400 homes built each year, while for the last five years only 5,000 had been built each year

“I don’t hear any solutions from Reform, other than raising issues,” Ms Gwenllian said in response.