Before the 2007 elections we as a party proposed a number of measures to tackle the problems we are facing in many parts of Wales with regards to affordable housing. Therefore the recent news that the One Wales Government is on track to delivering its affordable housing targets is very welcome. In a statement Plaid’s deputy housing minister Jocelyn Davies explained that the government has reached the halfway mark on its target of creating an additional 6,500 affordable homes. According to independent figures provided by the Welsh Economic Research Unit (WERU) 3,252 housing association homes have been delivered over the past two years.

I am delighted with these figures which clearly show that we are on track to meeting our target of creating 6,500 additional affordable homes in this Assembly term. Considering the current economic climate this is a particularly impressive achievement. Plaid Cymru has long argued that the shortage of affordable housing to rent or buy is one of the biggest barriers to community cohesion. In December 2008, the One Wales Government announced £42 million extra funding to be spent over three financial years to boost the creation of affordable housing in Wales. This gave a vital stimulus to the construction industry and is helping us to meet our ambitious target. Young people must have the right in the future to own a home in their own communities and these recent figures demonstrate how seriously the Deputy Housing Minister, Jocelyn Davies has taken this issue.