Pwyllgor Cymunedau, Cydraddoldeb a Llywodraeth Leol Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee

Bae Caerdydd / Cardiff Bay

 Caerdydd / Cardiff

CF99 1NA

7 October 2011

Dear Colleague

The National Assembly for Wales’ Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee is to undertake an inquiry into the provision of affordable housing, across all tenures, in Wales. To assist with its inquiry, the Committee would welcome your views on this subject

The terms of reference for the inquiry are:

· The effectiveness of public subsidy in delivering affordable housing, in particular Social Housing Grant;

· Whether alternatives to public subsidy are being fully exploited;

· Whether the Welsh Government, local authorities and RSLs are effectively utilising their powers to increase both the supply of, and access to, affordable housing;

· Whether there sufficient collaborative working between local authorities, RSLs, financial institutions and homebuilders;

· Whether innovative methods of delivering affordable housing such as Community Land Trusts or co-operatives could be promoted more effectively by the Welsh Government.

Invitation to contribute to the inquiry

The Committee welcomes responses from both individuals and organisations.  If you are responding on behalf of an organisation, please provide a brief description of the role of your organisation.

The Committee welcomes contributions in English or Welsh and will consider responses to the inquiry and hold oral evidence sessions during the autumn term.

If you wish to submit evidence, please send an electronic copy of your submission to celg.committee@wales.gov.uk

Alternatively, you can write to:

Committee Clerk

Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee

National Assembly for Wales

Cardiff Bay, CF99 1NA.

Submissions should arrive by Friday 4 November 2011.  It may not be possible to take into account responses received after this date.

For your information, the Committee has invited submissions from those on the attached distribution list.  They would be grateful if you could forward a copy of the letter to any individuals or organisations that are not included on this list, but might like to contribute to the review.  A copy of this letter has been placed on the National Assembly’s website with an open invitation to submit views.

Disclosure of Information

It is normal practice for the National Assembly to publish evidence provided to a Committee.  Consequently your response may appear in a report or in supplementary evidence to a report.  The National Assembly will not publish information which it considers to be personal data.

In the event of a request for information submitted under UK legislation, it may be necessary to disclose the information that you provide.  This may include information which has previously been removed by the National Assembly for publication purposes.

If you are providing any information, other than personal data, which you feel is not suitable for public disclosure, it is up to you to stipulate which parts should not be published and to provide a reasoned argument to support this.  The National Assembly will take this into account when publishing information or responding to requests for information.

Yours faithfully

Ann Jones AC / AM

Cadeirydd / Chair

Annex

All Wales Chief Housing Panel (AWCHOP)

All Wales Housing Technical Panel

Agorfa Cefni

Caerphilly CBC

Cardiff Council

Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru

Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru

Citizens' Advice Bureau

City of Swansea

Community Housing Cymru

Council of Mortgage Lenders

Cymorth Cymru

Home Builders Federation

Landlord Accreditation Wales

National Landlords Association

National Landlords Association

NEA Cymru

Principality Building Society

Professor Steve Wilcox

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

Royal Town Planning Institution Cymru

Shelter Cymru

Shelter Cymru

Sue Essex

The National Homelessness Network

The Wallich

Welsh Government

Welsh Tenants Federation

WLGA

WLGA

Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council

Bridgend County Borough Council

Caerphilly County Borough Council

Cardiff County Council

Carmarthenshire County Borough Council

City and County of Swansea

Conwy County Borough Council

Denbighshire County Borough Council

Flintshire County Borough Council

Gwynedd Council

Isle of Anglesey County Council

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

Monmouthshire County Borough Council

Neath Port Talbot County Council

Newport City Council

Pembrokeshire County Council

Powys County Council

Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council

Torfaen County Borough Council

Vale of Glamorgan Council

Wrexham County Borough Council