Llyr Gruffydd MS Member of the Senedd for North Wales

An MS has told Wrexham Council to “get its act together” to address the housing crisis in the county.

Llyr Gruffydd, who represents North Wales in the Senedd, has responded after it emerged that demand for council homes has rocketed, with the waiting list topping 4,500.

Mr Gruffydd, of Plaid Cymru, has accused Council leaders of having a “chaotic approach” to housing that is “letting down residents”.  

Requests for housing to the local authority have surged in the last year due to the cost-of-living crisis and eye-watering hikes in the private rental market.

The waiting list has increased from 1,800 in 2019, to 4,528 in 2023. The council currently has a stock of 11,055 properties on its books.

Llyr Gruffydd MS said: “It isn’t an understatement to say that Wrexham is facing a housing crisis.

“It’s clear that there isn’t anywhere near enough council homes in the county and the Council does really need to get its act together quickly to address this issue.

“It needs to bring back houses into use for council homes, as well as invest sufficiently to build new affordable council houses.

“Unfortunately instead of getting to grips with the issue, the Council’s leadership has been sitting on its hands.

“It has created a Local Development Plan, which doesn’t have the support of local residents, and now it refuses to implement it.

“It means that Wrexham faces the worst of all worlds, with the wrong kinds of housing being built in the wrong places, while the kind of housing that is needed isn’t being built at all.

“It’s an absolute farce of the Council’s own making, and it’s those who are in desperate need of housing in the area who are paying the price.  

“The cost of living crisis has undoubtedly driven up demand, but what that has done is exacerbated an issue caused by the inaction of the local authority.

“The waiting list for council was far too long before the cost of living crisis drove demand even higher.

“Access to safe, secure and affordable housing needs to be treated like a fundamental human right. The people of Wrexham deserve better.”