Europe UK (Commonwealth Union) – Today, significant strides will be made in advancing ambitious initiatives aimed at eradicating homelessness in Wales, as key policy and legislative reform details are presented in the Senedd (Welsh Parliament).
On World Homelessness Day, Climate Change Minister Julie James will unveil a White Paper outlining the Welsh Government’s strategy for putting an end to homelessness in Wales.
The overhaul of housing laws represents a crucial facet of the Program for Government (2021-2026) and the collaborative commitment with Plaid Cymru to eliminate all manifestations of homelessness in Wales, ensuring it becomes an exceedingly rare and short-lived occurrence.
The proposed measures primarily revolve around bolstering prevention and early intervention. This will be achieved through the implementation of a comprehensive set of reforms designed to bring about substantial transformations in the existing Welsh homelessness and housing framework.
Through these legislative changes, the Welsh Government asserts that it will proactively thwart homelessness at its nascent stages and distribute the responsibility for identification and prevention across the spectrum of public services in Wales.
The White Paper draws significantly from the insights of an Independent Expert Review Panel, which was tasked with scrutinizing current legislation and offering recommendations to the Welsh Government. In the course of this comprehensive review, over 350 individuals who have personally experienced homelessness actively contributed their perspectives to aid in shaping the outlined proposals.
Minister for Climate Change Julie James indicated that their aspiration is that every individual in Wales should have a place to call home, and today signifies the commencement of a fresh chapter dedicated to assisting people in retaining their residences and ensuring that homelessness becomes eradicated throughout Wales.
“I would like to thank the Expert Review Panel whose report has helped shape our White Paper. Their recommendations will truly help to end homelessness here in Wales.”
“I also want to thank the more than 350 people who shared their own experiences to help shape our reforms and ensure they are grounded in the reality of homelessness. This White Paper delivers our long-held view that homelessness is not just a housing issue.”
