Y Pwyllgor Cydraddoldeb a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol | Equality and Social Justice Committee
Ymateb gan: Tai Pawb | Evidence from: Tai Pawb
Tai Pawb
Response to:
“Well-being of Future Generations Act Consultation”
For Equality & Social Justice Committee
June 2025
For further information about this paper please contact:
Name: Hannah Crackett
Position: Policy Coordinator
Email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Telephone: xxxxxxxxxxx
Who we are
Tai Pawb (housing for all) is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. The organisation’s purpose is, “To Inspire Wales to be a Fairer Place to Live” with a mission to promote equality and social justice in housing in Wales. It operates a membership system which is open to local authorities, registered social landlords, third (voluntary) sector organisations, other housing interests and individuals.
What we do
Tai Pawb works closely with the Welsh Government and other key partners on national housing strategies and key working groups, to ensure that equality is an inherent consideration in national strategic development and implementation. The organisation also provides practical advice and assistance to its members on a range of equality and diversity issues in housing and related services, including QED – the equality and diversity accreditation for the housing sector.
For further information visit: www.taipawb.org
Charity registration no. 1110078
Company No. 5282554
1 Introduction and background
1.1 Tai Pawb welcomes the opportunity to respond to this consultation and strongly supports the ambition and vision of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act (WBFGA). We commend the Act’s focus on sustainability, intergenerational justice, and long-term thinking and consider it a source of national pride, reflecting our shared values of equity, community, and social justice.
1.2 Despite this, we believe that the full potential of the WBFGA cannot be realised without the incorporation of the right to adequate housing into Welsh Law. Without secure, affordable, and adequate housing for all, the goals of the Act will remain aspirational rather than fully actionable and enforceable.
1.3 Tai Pawb, alongside the Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru (CIH) and Shelter Cymru, advocate for the incorporation of this right through the Back the Bill campaign. Our evidence demonstrates how incorporating the right to adequate housing into Welsh Law would ensure a fairer, more resilient Wales in the long-term.
1.4 We believe incorporation of the right to adequate housing (and human rights more generally) could empower the WBFGA and demonstrate how aspirational values can be delivered upon in tangible ways and transform lives.
2 What is the right to adequate housing?
2.1 The right to adequate housing is a recognised international human right, enshrined in theUN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). It comprises of the following essential elements:
- Availability of essential services and infrastructure (for health, security, comfort, and nutrition)
- Affordability
- Accessibility
- Habitability
- Legal security of tenure
- Location
- Cultural adequacy
2.2 The right challenges us to reframe the value we place on housing at a fundamental level. Housing is not an asset; it is a human right central to our shared well-being. A human-rights based approach is a holistic one. It recognises that housing is more than a roof over one’s head; it is intrinsic to good health, educational attainment, community cohesion, economic participation, environmental stewardship and personal dignity.
2.3 Enshrining housing as a human right in law is not just an ethical duty, it provides a framework for practical, measurable, and enforceable decision-making. A right-based approach aligns priorities, resources, and stakeholders to ensure efficiency and effective action. It would catalyse change at a systemic level, necessary to achieve progress at the rate and scale we need.
2.4 The case for incorporation is well-evidenced, grounded in research (including examples of how it is already working internationally) and mapped into the Welsh context. Our campaign provides the following supporting documents:
- Feasibility Report
- Alternative White Paper
- Road Map for Implementation
- Independent Economic Evidence Base Analysis
- Independent Economic Cost-Benefit Analysis
3 The Well-being of Future Generations Act: a decade on
3.1 Tai Pawb applauds the vision and ambition at the heart of the WBFGA. As an organisation striving to make Wales a more equitable place, we fully condone the consideration of those not yet born within all public decision-making and have encouraged public discourse regarding the Wales we want to be. We recognise the principles of long-termism, prevention, collaboration, participation and integration as crucial to enabling equitable outcomes.
3.2 But we cannot ignore that housing-related outcomes have worsened over the past ten years:
- Record numbers of people, including children, living in temporary accommodation
- Homelessness figures continue to rise, particularly amongst young people and marginalised groups
- Growing social housing waiting lists and lack of new supply
- Many people live in overcrowded, unsafe or unaffordable homes, especially in the private rented sector
3.3 Wales is in a deep and worsening housing crisis. Whilst we support the Act, it is clear its aspirational values have not impacted our housing crisis as hoped. As it stands, for too many people in Wales housing remains insecure, unaffordable, or inaccessible. The Act is currently not robust enough to secure housing as a right and deliver the systems change needed in Wales.
3.4 Events over the past decade, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have only underscored how critical adequate housing is for public health, economic resilience, and social cohesion. A 2020 report by the CIH found that 77% of people support the notion that housing should be a legal right in Wales.
3.5
Whilst policy developments such as Rapid Rehousing
are important and
strongly welcomed, they will not address the deep
structural issues of supply
and inadequacy. Without embedding housing as a human right,
we
believe progress across all well-being goals will remain
fragile,
uneven, and ultimately, unjust.
4 How the right to adequate housing supports the Act
4.1 The incorporation of the right to adequate housing into Welsh Law would provide a robust legal and ethical foundation for housing policy and strategy, while advancing the WBFGA’s sustainable development principles. It would ensure decisions are not vulnerable to political cycles, but are shaped by a forward-looking, rights-based framework that promotes consistency and accountability. It would help to implement the five ways of working embedded in the Act:
- Long-term: Grounding housing policy in rights creates a lasting framework for future generations
- Integration: Recognising housing as central to achieving all seven well-being goals
- Involvement: Empowering individuals and communities to participate in decisions that affect their homes
- Collaboration: Uniting sectors around a shared rights-based goal
- Prevention: Addressing the root causes of disadvantage and inequality through secure housing
It would also strengthen progress towards each of the Act’s seven well-being goals:
4.2. A more equal Wales
Housing inequality disproportionately impacts people who already face structural disadvantage:
- Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities are overrepresented in homelessness and overcrowding statistics
- Disabled people face a severe lack of accessible housing, with the EHRC Wales in 2018 highlighting a ‘hidden crisis’ in provision
- Refugees, asylum seekers and migrants face systemic discrimination and barriers to safe housing
- Women, especially single mothers and survivors of domestic abuse, are often trapped in unsafe housing due to a lack of alternatives and unaffordable rents in the private sector
- LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely to experience homelessness
- Young people are unable to access stable housing and unable to remain in their communities due to lack of opportunity
- Older people are increasingly isolated and living in deteriorating or unsuitable homes due to lack of support
Incorporating the right to adequate housing requires a joined-up housing strategy that meets the needs of all disadvantaged groups. It would ensure that local and national housing policy tackles inequality. We believe incorporation also represents the fastest route to ending homelessness.
Considering a more diverse range of needs at planning level would support the delivery of more inclusive housing such as multigenerational homes and improved sites for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, can feel they belong in Wales.
4.3. A healthier Wales
The link between poor housing and poor health is well established. Public Health Wales estimates that housing-related issues cost the NHS £95 million every year. Our independent analysis indicates that investing in housing could save the NHS up to £1 billion and generate over £5.5 billion in wider savings over 30 years through sustained improvements in public health and well-being.
Safe, warm, and stable housing enables people to live independently for longer, engage meaningfully in work and community life, and avoid preventable health conditions. It gives children a fair start in life and reduces the long-term burden on public services. To alleviate the significant pressures faced by the NHS, and improve the Nation’s health in general, we must properly address the role housing plays in public health.
4.4. A Wales of cohesive communities
Adequate housing represents more than a roof over one’s head; it provides living conditions that are secure, safe and foster a sense of belonging.
Embedding a right to adequate housing would ensure planning processes actively involve diverse communities in shaping their neighbourhoods. It would reinforce the idea of shared ownership over the spaces we inhabit, giving every person a stake in their community. This approach aligns closely with the wider aspirations of the WBFGA.
Our independent cost-benefit analysisestimates £1 billion will be saved by reducing crime associated with poor housing. It would also help us to reduce loneliness and social isolation, which are of growing concern in Wales.
4.5. A prosperous Wales
Inadequate housing prevents people from fully participating in the economy. It undermines efforts in education and employment, and keeps people trapped in cycles of poverty. It also places a heavy financial burden on public services, diverting resources into crisis management rather than transformative action. Our independent cost-benefit analysisestimates up to £1 billion in educational and economic benefits over 30 years, which would boost the economy and drive sustainable change to future-proof systems.
A rights-based approach would also support the delivery of low-carbon homes in locations that provide access to jobs, schools, services and green spaces which aligns it with the 20-minute neighbourhood concept.
4.6. A resilient Wales
The housing sector accounts for around 21% of Wales’s carbon emissions. Poorly insulated homes, inefficient heating systems, and unsustainable developments present a major environmental challenge. Incorporating the right to adequate housing would catalyse investment in greener construction methods and support our transition to net zero.
It would also encourage public participation in environmental decision-making and ensure the climate is no longer seen as a “fringe issue”. By linking these issues together, we can better protect our planet for future generations.
4.7. A Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language
The housing crisis has had a profound impact on Welsh-speaking communities, particularly in rural areas where lack of opportunity and access to affordable homes, often due to second home ownership, force younger generations to leave. Incorporating the right to adequate housing would support efforts to maintain the cultural and linguistic identity of these communities by ensuring more homes are available for people to, not just remain living where they grew up, but thrive there. Strengthening all Welsh communities helps maintain Welsh identities and a sense of collective pride.
4.8. A globally responsible Wales
By incorporating the right to adequate housing, Wales would send a clear message that we take our international obligations seriously and represent global leaders in human-rights. We would evidence our agreement with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and position social justice and equity at the heart of our governance, for now and into the future. This step would very clearly align with the tone already set by the WBFGA, demonstrating that Wales is a country of forward-thinking, responsible and ethical citizens.
5 Looking ahead: accountability and implementation
5.1 Incorporating the right to adequate housing into Welsh Law will embed accountability and action and protect efforts from political cycles. It would:
- Drive investment and the return of housing to a fundamental mission of government
- Enable the Senedd and the judiciary to hold Ministers and public bodies to account
- Require joined-up, strategic targets for the delivery and monitoring of housing adequacy
- Reinforce both formal and informal mechanisms with legal clarity, transparency, and recourse
5.2 Our Back the Bill campaign outlines how this right can be implemented through progressive realisation, where change is pursued in a sustainable, planned, and fully resourced way. It acknowledges that transformation will not happen overnight, but crucially, works to prevent apathy, build momentum, and inspire hope; an approach closely aligned with that of the WBFGA.
5.3 Right now, human rights are increasingly under threat around the world. Wales has an opportunity to lead by example and fully embed human rights as the foundation of how we govern. Whilst proposed homelessness legislation and further implementation of the WBFGA are welcome, without a strong rights-based foundation, they risk being undermined. The right to adequate housing can drive the systems change our housing in Wales requires, to deliver on the aspirations of the WBFGA.
6 Call to action
6.1 Tai Pawb calls for the right to adequate housing to be incorporated into Welsh Law within the next Senedd term and return housing to a fundamental mission of government.
7 Conclusion
7.1 The Well-being of Future Generations Act is a visionary and pioneering piece of legislation, well aligned with Wales’s legacy of social justice and support for human rights. Tai Pawb is fully committed to supporting its success.
7.2 However, for the Act to truly fulfil its potential, we believe it must be underpinned by the incorporation of the right to adequate housing into Welsh Law. Housing is the foundation from which all other well-being outcomes flow. Without safe, secure, and affordable homes, progress on health, equality, the environment, social cohesion, economic prosperity and the preservation of Welsh culture will be limited and disjointed.
7.3 Incorporation demands a sustainable whole-systems approach, which will enable fulfilment of the goals and adherence to the principles of the Act. Incorporation is not just the right thing to do, morally and practically, it is crucial to the future success of the Act.