Swansea Council to invest £50m in improving council housing this year

Swansea Council say they are set to invest a massive £50m undertaking a range of building repairs, maintenance and improvements to hundreds of homes across the city over the coming year.

Millions of pounds are being earmarked to insulate and weatherproof hundreds of existing homes making them warm and efficient as well as environmental improvements in tenants’ communities.

The Council will also be trialling the introduction of renewable technologies to selected properties as part of its ambitions to make homes more efficient, reduce household costs and reduce carbon emissions. 

This will be an opportunity to further develop local skills and expertise in renewable low carbon technologies.  The Council’s £8.1m plan for new kitchens and bathrooms follows major investment in this area and which has already improved over 9,500 council homes.     

The spending is part of the biggest ever investment in council-owned homes for affordable rent in the city as part of the council’s plans to achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.

Andrea Lewis, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Service Transformation said Swansea Council’s ambitious spending programme for council housing reflected its commitment to providing high-quality homes that are energy-efficient and affordable for tenants.

She said: “Better homes for our residents are one of the critical building blocks of creating a better future for children, for families and for our city.

“Despite the pandemic we have continued with our home improvement programmes because better homes improve people’s health, affordable homes that are energy efficient help reduce poverty and together they contribute to happier communities.

She said: “Over the last few years there has been a huge investment worth hundreds of millions of pounds into making sure the homes we own are in good shape and fit for the future under the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.

“In the coming year further investment of an estimated £50m will mean hundreds of families will benefit from improvements to their homes.

“Money is also being earmarked for other projects including electrical re-wiring and weather-proofing where needed as well as general environmental improvements.”

Funding for the new homes and the upgrades for existing homes is coming from the rents paid by tenants, Welsh Government grants and HRA borrowing. None of the spending is from council tax.