10/01/2017

Housing and poverty - the challenge for Wales | JRF

Housingandpoverty-thechallengefor
Wales

Michael Trickey
19th Oct 2011

Related topics: Housing

HowcanWalesmeetthechallengesofchildpoverty,a ordable
housingandrisingunemploymentduringthis nancialsqueeze?

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Housing and poverty - the challenge for Wales | JRF

isSiteusescookies.PleasereadourCookiesPolicy
Asthe nancialsqueezebitesandthethreatofadoublediprecessionloomstwonew
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forinformationaboutthecookiesusedandtheir
JRFpublicationsillustratethescaleofthechallengefacedbypolicy-makersand
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politiciansinWales.
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eInstituteofFiscalStudiesreportwarnsofasigni cantincreaseinchildpovertyand
declineinrealmedianhouseholdincomesacrosstheUK,notleastduetothedirect
impactoftheUKtaxandbene treforms.
isisparticularlybadnewsforWalesontopoftheworryingrecentJRF ndingsthat
showedwehavelosthalftheimprovementintherateofchildpovertythatwegained
betweenthemid1990sandmid2000sinWales.Tomeetthegoalofabolishingchild
poverty,therewouldhavetobeanunparalleledriseinthenumbersoffamiliesinfulltimeworkinWales,anincreasinglyfragilehopeasWelshunemploymentrisestothe
highestlevelfordecades.Giventhatsomanyofthecrucialtaxandbene tpolicylevers
lieoutsidetheremitofdevolvedgovernment,thebigquestionfortheWelsh
Governmentiswhatcanitdotomitigatethesituation?
eanswermayhavesomethingincommonwithanewreporttacklingthequestionof
wherenextforhousingpolicyinWales?issaysthattheWelshGovernmentcanuse
itsnewpowerstomakearealdi erencetothesigni canthousingproblemsfacedby
thousandsofpeopleinWales.Homelessnessisrisingandbudgetpressureswillrequire
signi cantinnovationinsecuringtheprovisionofa ordable,goodqualityhousing.
Itisnotallgloom.eWelshGovernmentandhousingorganisationsworkede ectively
togethertoexceedtherecenttargetof6,500newa ordablehomesthroughcommon
purposeandcreativity.isemphasisestheneedforpolicyareassuchhousing,health,
regeneration,skillsandcommunitydevelopmenttoworkcloselytogethertotackle
crucialissuessuchaspoverty.isrequiresacertainamountofrealismrealismabout
whatcanbeachievedthroughactionatthedevolvedlevelandaclear,deliverablevision.
Targetsandexpectationswhichdefybeliefcanbedemotivating.
eAssembly'sunderstandableandnecessaryfocusonlegislativepowersshouldnot
driveouttherealpotentialtogalvanisethewholesystemgovernmentandsocial
partnersaroundanationalprogrammetocombatpoverty.Itisnotablethatmuch

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practicalprogresswasmadearoundpreventinghomelessnesswithoutlegislative
change. isSiteusescookies.PleasereadourCookiesPolicy

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eforcesbearingdownonthoseinneedhavebecomemuchmoretoxicinthelastyear.
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Itisgoingtorequirethekindofdriveseeninwar-timeacrossallsectorsinWalesto
Policy.

deliverane ectiveresponse.

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