More than 700 extra units of affordable housing needed per year in Rhondda Cynon Taf

More than 700 extra units of affordable housing are said to be needed per year in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
The council’s local housing market assessment for 2023-2028, which is due to go before cabinet on Wednesday, March 20, shows that the total
housing need is 745 additional affordable housing units per year
including 286 “intermediate” units (of which 229 need to be  low cost home ownership) and 459 social rented units.
The assessment indicates that for both market and affordable housing,
overall, the need for one bedroom properties is higher than that of all
other size properties with 409 units required per year.
The assessment also shows that the south west Taf area has the highest net
need for affordable housing with 115 units needed per year.
The report to cabinet said that the assessment revealed clear differences in the housing market across the county borough with demand in Taf being relatively higher than across the rest of the area.
Price to income ratios are far greater across Taf, meaning affordability is more of a significant issue in many parts of this area, according to the report.
Whilst other areas of the county borough have a lower demand, there is evidence of housing market “hotspots” in these other areas of RCT.
The report said: “It is important to emphasise that this headline data should not be considered an annual delivery target or even the solution to the
affordability issues within the county borough.
“It instead indicates the level of housing need within RCT, which the council will seek to address through a range of market interventions as far as practically possible.
“The housing need identified within the assessment is best viewed at housing market areas to ensure the needs of different types of housing in different markets are fully understood.”
It added that the figure of 745 was based on the council meeting all
unmet need and forecasted additional need over a five year period as set
out by the Welsh Government.
The term “unmet” need relates to people currently on the common housing register waiting list and people who are registered on the Homestep mailing list so the figure of 745 affordable housing units per year differs from the council’s Local Development Plan annual figure as the data is calculated equally over a 15-year period. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​