Update on increased Social Housing Grant offer for 2021/22

Cabinet will receive an update on the Council’s Social Housing Grant offer – with an increased £15.3m allocation for 2021/22 helping to further meet local housing need while supporting economic growth in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

At their meeting on Thursday, April 29, Members will discuss this year’s allocation from the Grant, which is the main capital grant provided by Welsh Government for the provision of social housing. Working with Registered Social Landlords, Local Authorities across Wales use the annual Grant to fund housing schemes that meet communities’ local needs and priorities.

The Grant provides a 58% contribution to each scheme, and over the past three years Rhondda Cynon Taf was allocated £29m – which has supported delivery of 38 social housing schemes and 335 units. With Registered Social Landlords providing £21m, the total local investment during this time is £50m.

The 38 schemes that have been developed through the Council’s Social Housing Grant programme during the last three years have all been delivered by local contractors (South Wales region), with 50% of these being delivered by contractors from Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Thursday’s report to Cabinet confirms the Council’s Social Housing Grant allocation for 2021/22 is £15.3m, with the Council able to start allocating this from April 1, 2021. More than half of the new allocation (£8.5m) has already been committed to 10 schemes in the Social Housing Grant programme.

The remainder of the new funding will be allocated to new schemes that best contribute to achieving the right type and quality of homes in the right places.

Councillor Robert Bevan, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Enterprise, Development and Housing, said: “I’m pleased the Council will benefit from at least £15.3m funding this financial year through the Social Housing Grant, which is an increased allocation from a Grant which has already helped us deliver 335 units via £29m funding over three years.

“The investment not only helps to meet housing needs of local communities, but also continues to contribute to the local economy – with all 38 recent schemes being delivered by contractors in South Wales. The schemes will also have a ‘knock-on’ benefit for other key priorities in the County Borough – for example, helping to reduce homelessness and poverty, and providing people who cannot afford market housing to access suitable accommodation.”