Council buys back former council houses sold off under right-to-buy

Swansea Council say that in the last year alone it has added almost 90 homes to its 13,712 stock of affordable homes for rent with hundreds more planned for the years ahead.

The homes included buying back more than 50 council properties which had been sold off as part of the former right-to-buy programme and they are now being let to tenants, providing warm, safe homes for them and their families.

The council says that the buy-back scheme is just one element of it’s determination to help ease growing pressure on the availability of affordable homes to rent in Swansea and it’s anticipated around another 25 will be purchased in the coming year.

On top of that work has already started on converting two former district housing offices in Penlan and Eastside into 10 flats and they should be ready to move into in the coming months.

The projects are all part of the council’s 10-year More Homes programme that includes providing 1,000 energy-efficient and affordable homes to rent – the first new council housing homes for a generation.

Andrea Lewis, Swansea Council’s Joint Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Service Transformation said the buy-back scheme was a quick and effective way to support families searching for somewhere to live.

Cllr Lewis said: “People are looking to us for help to find an affordable, secure place to live. Homes are literally a building block for a stable life and that’s why we’re playing our part in extending our housing stock.

“During a cost-of-living crisis where good quality homes at a reasonable rent are becoming more difficult to find, we’re supporting those most in need.

“So far, we’ve bought back a total of 125 homes, including 52 last year, that were sold off through the UK government’s right-to-buy scheme. At that time councils weren’t allowed to use the proceeds of sales to build more homes.

“But under Welsh government law changes, councils in Wales have been freed-up to build more homes and buy back former council houses as we are doing in Swansea.”

Cllr Lewis said the programme is also supporting local jobs and apprenticeships as conversions and new-builds have mostly been created by the council’s own locally based corporate building teams.

The council says the More Homes programme is being funded by a mix of rental income from council tenants and Welsh Government grants. None of the money is coming from council tax.

The scheme has funded new homes in Blaenymaes, Birchgrove and Clase and just recently it funded the transformation of the former Gorseinon Social Services respite centre into 2 new 3-bedroom homes for local residents, as well as the recently completed new bungalows in West Cross.

Another 160 new homes are also the pipeline in the Brokesby Road area of Bonymaen which is currently going through a formal planning consultation process with residents and stakeholders. Three further schemes are in development in Clase, Manselton and Fforestfach and expected to start on site during 2024, providing an additional 44 new build council homes.

(Lead image: Swansea Council)