Editor

Louise Overfield feels that Gwynedd Council’s housing policy is inadequate (Cambrian News, 26 November). The housing officer, Cllr Craig ab Iago, offers a social housing programme funded by the tax premium on second homes, which is not only politically divisive, but will fall woefully short of what is required.

In 1980 there were 6.5 million council houses in the UK, but as a result of Right to Buy, in 2018 only two million remain. In January 2019 the Senedd stopped Right to Buy, enabling the ‘housing stock to grow. However, Crisis estimates that Britain needs 90,000 social houses per year, for 15 years, to meet the national demand, and they need to be rental homes, not so called ‘affordable’ houses.

Several weeks ago Cllr Craig ab Iago was eager for debate, but has since seemed very elusive about offering an explanation for a social housing development in Blaenau Ffestiniog that is entirely for sale, not one for rent. Perhaps he is embarrassed by the paucity of funding generated by the second-home premium, and if so, he could tell us that the Social Housing Grant allocation for Gwynedd, something beyond his control or responsibility, is only marginally greater than the second-home premium, and that both combined are totally inadequate,

Roger Louvet Porthmadog

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