Inside Housing – News – Welsh membership body calls for action on cost of living as housing associations see rise in tenant demand for financial support

CHC wants the Welsh government to recognise social housing as “essential preventative infrastructure”.

The report highlighted the impact on housing association staff, with 74% of professionals saying external pressures were affecting their mental health and well-being negatively.

It said: “Housing associations are seeing escalating demand from households in crisis. They are helping tenants meet essential costs and manage debt, while working to prevent further hardship by maximising incomes, building skills, improving employment opportunities and financial resilience. 

“High-quality, energy-efficient homes are also helping to lower tenants’ energy bills while reducing emissions.”

Welsh landlords are seeing more households come forward with rising levels of debt and declining financial resilience, the report said, with some using credit products such as Klarna and Clearpay to meet basic needs.

Housing associations also reported that financial pressure were reaching households who may previously have been able to manage, with more than a third of survey respondents identifying working households as a group commonly seeking support.

The report added: “Housing association staff report seeing an increase in requests for support at crisis point. More tenants now require intensive and persistent support to navigate financial difficulty and sustain their tenancies. 

“In many cases, financial hardship is intertwined with mental health difficulties, safeguarding concerns, debt, and other vulnerabilities.”

Hayley Eastment, policy lead at CHC, said: “In delivering energy-efficiency improvements and developing new high-quality homes, housing associations are not waiting for change – they are already delivering it.

“When we get housing right, the benefits are felt everywhere, from cutting household bills, to reducing pressure on the health service and supporting children’s education.

“We need a long-term plan to kickstart Wales’s housing recovery, building stronger communities, lowering bills and bettering outcomes for social housing residents, creating resilience against the deepening cost of living crisis.”

In response to the report, the Welsh government said it recognises the pressures many households are facing and is “committed to building a more resilient housing system”.

The statement continued: “Social housing remains a long-term priority for us and this financial year we are investing a record £474 million to reduce reliance on temporary accommodation, increase the supply of social homes, and ensure more people have access to quality, energy-efficient homes.

“Support for people facing financial hardship also remains a priority and we will continue to work closely with housing associations and local authorities to ensure that support reaches those who need it most.

“We will consider the recommendations set out in this report as part of our ongoing work on housing supply, affordability, and tackling the cost of living.”