Editor: The ‘Homebuy Scheme’ announced by Gwynedd Council (Gwynedd Council launches ‘Homebuy’ scheme, Cambrian News, 14 September) clearly suggests that Gwynedd has bought into the Tory idea of buying a home, as opposed to rented or social homes. This answers my repeated question as to why those six Adra houses on the Blaenau Ffestiniog Old Surgery site are all for sale.

If you are a first time buyer and earn no more than £1,200 per week, you can now consider buying a house up to £300,000 with the assistance of a substantial council loan if your mortgage offer is inadequate. However, there is a consensus amongst economists that the Homebuy Scheme is inflationary which, given the current property inflation, simply adds fuel to the fire, and could explain why it ends in England on 31 March. But more pertinent is the lack of emphasis on rented housing for that large cohort unable to mortgage for a variety of reasons, especially the millions with an income hovering around the minimum wage — far, far below £1,200 per week — and current property prices.

There is reference to funding from the Welsh Government, suggesting this scheme may apply to the whole of Wales. If that is so, what has happened to the 20,000 social houses promised this parliament? Imposing punitive property taxes on second homes to fund a totally inadequate response to the housing crisis is not the way forward. The way forward is rented, social housing, at scale.

Roger Louvet, Porthmadog