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Welsh councils spent the month buying homes, setting council tax premiums on second and empty homes, and revising how social homes are allocated. Nationally, the Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Act 2026 is being phased in.[9][7][5][19]
Written in November 2026 from council records since 20 September 2026, open consultations and official sources. Written automatically, then checked: every point names its sources and every figure appears in them. Follow the links to check anything before relying on it.
Councils must help people who are homeless or about to lose their home, find temporary places to stay, and plan for new affordable homes. Some councils own and manage council housing; in others, housing associations do.
The Cabinet member for housing leads, with big decisions at Cabinet. Housing plans and rent levels for council homes go to the Cabinet or full Council.
If you're at risk of losing your home, contact the council's housing options team as early as possible: the law says it must help. For wider issues, contact your councillors.
| Council | Items | With a decision |
|---|---|---|
| Flintshire | 54 | 35 |
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | 51 | 49 |
| Vale of Glamorgan | 45 | 23 |
| Cardiff | 38 | 36 |
| Caerphilly | 36 | 0 |
| Pembrokeshire | 31 | 25 |
| Gwynedd | 29 | 28 |
| Carmarthenshire | 28 | 27 |
| Conwy | 24 | 22 |
| Swansea | 24 | 18 |
| Wrexham | 21 | 20 |
| Denbighshire | 18 | 16 |
| Powys | 15 | 9 |
| Merthyr Tydfil | 13 | 12 |
| Monmouthshire | 13 | 9 |
| Newport | 12 | 6 |
| Blaenau Gwent | 10 | 10 |
| Neath Port Talbot | 9 | 8 |
| Bridgend | 8 | 0 |
| Torfaen | 6 | 4 |
| Ceredigion | 4 | 3 |
Decided: The Committee deferred the application so that members could visit the site. The reason given was to view the site in light of concerns about highway impacts and safety.
Decided: The meeting approved the revised policy and gave delegated authority, meaning power for officers to make decisions without a new vote of councillors, for future changes. That authority covers only minor amendments, such as legislative updates, procedural corrections or changes Welsh Government requires; substantive policy changes must return to Full Council. Officers saw no legal difficulty with the wording 'minor amendments', the Portfolio Member (the cabinet councillor for the service) agreed, and officers agreed that explanatory wording could be added to the guidance notes before publication.
Decided: The meeting approved the Receiving and Awarding Grants Policy, along with delegated authority (power for officers to act without a new councillor vote) for the Head of Regeneration, Investment and Housing to make future amendments, in consultation with the Portfolio Member. The minute records that grant decisions are not made by officers alone, that Member oversight has been maintained, and that this will continue.
Decided: The Committee agreed that the Audit Wales findings are consistent with its own knowledge of the topic. It also agreed that the activity in the management response and action plan satisfactorily responds to the report's recommendations (Option 1).
Decided: The Cabinet approved the revised Buildings and Structures of Local Importance guidance for a six-week public consultation. This guidance is extra planning advice that supports the council's local development plan. The Cabinet also gave the Head of Housing, Planning and Place delegated authority, meaning officers can act without a further meeting, to make minor changes before consultation, after consulting the relevant Cabinet Member.
RESOLVED – (1) THAT the commencement of the process of recruitment to the position of Director of Environment and Housing be approved. (2) THAT the scope and extent of the recruitment process to be followed, and having particular regard to benefits of progressing recruitment on a competitive internal basis, be agreed. (3) THAT, in pursuance of Resolutions (1) and (2) above, delegated authority be granted to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader, relevant Cabinet Member and Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development to progress: a. advertising the position; b. progressing the necessary arrangements for long-listing and any necessary assessment of candidates in advance of shortlisting; c. drawing up a final short-list for interviews, the interviews of which will be undertaken by future meetings of this Committee; and to d. agree costings and resource requirements relating to the processes required to pursue the recruitment and selection processes. Reasons for the decisions (1) To enable a permanent appointment to be made before the conclusion of the current secondments and associated fixed term contract approved by the Senior Management Appointment Committee in February 2026. (2&3) To allow the recruitment process to be progressed
Decided: Cabinet approved the use of Community Protection Warnings and Community Protection Notices within Housing Services and City Centre Management. It also authorised the Director of Place to designate trained officers to issue these notices, and to prepare applications for Partial and Full Closure Orders with Legal Services. Cabinet also noted the March 2018 decision on anti-social behaviour powers and that Housing Services already uses Civil Injunctions.
Decided: The Committee resolved that Helen Evans be appointed as Director, Adult, Housing and Communities.
RESOLVED – (1) THAT the findings from Audit Wales’ review of the Council’s arrangements for planning, delivering and monitoring housing adaptations, (Appendix A to the report) and the response to the review findings and Audit Wales’ recommendations (Appendix B to the report) be noted. (2) THAT the report be referred to Cabinet for their endorsement of the proposed Council actions (Appendix B to the report) to address the recommendations, with a recommendation that performance oversight of the service area be considered for the appropriate Scrutiny Committee. Reasons for decisions (1) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting. (2) To ensure the Council responds appropriately and implements areas of improvement as identified by Audit Wales.
Decided: The committee agreed that the Chair writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the committee's observations on the way forward.
Decided: The committee agreed that the Chair writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the committee's observations on the way forward.
RESOLVED that the report be accepted and the Governance & Audit Committee were assured that the Management Response responded to the identified recommendations within the Audit Wales report. (Option 1)