A Welsh council that is buying private properties in second home hotspots to rent to local people has struck a new agreement with the largest housing association in North Wales.
Adra’s head office (picture: Google Street View)
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Cyngor Gwynedd, the governing body for the county of Gwynedd, has agreed the partnership with Adra as part of its buy-to-let scheme, to tackle a shortage of homes for local people.
Under the tie-up, 7,000-home Adra will manage the properties the council acquires from the open market.
Cyngor Gwynedd has been running the buy-to-let initiative since 2021 with a target to buy 100 homes over six years to rent to local people. The acquisitions are focused on Aberdyfi, Llanberis, Porthmadog, and Pen Llŷn.
Twenty properties have been acquired to date, with five others due to complete, according to the council.
Gwynedd, along with Pembrokeshire and Anglesey, are regarded as hotspots for second homes in Wales.
Since 2022, Welsh councils have been able to charge a 300% council tax premium on second homes as part of the government’s efforts to clamp down on the problem. Cyngor Gwynedd imposed a 150% premium in April last year.
Craig ab Iago, cabinet member for housing and property at Cyngor Gwynedd, said: “With the scheme to buy private houses to let to local people, this practical collaboration means that both organisations bring their strengths to the table – combining expertise to find real solutions to the serious housing situation that we’re all facing.”
The council’s buy-to-let initiative is part of Cyngor Gwynedd’s overall £140m housing action plan, which aims to tackle the county’s housing shortage.
The plan’s other elements include schemes to tackle homelessness, bring empty homes back into use, build new homes, and equity loans to help local people buy homes on the open market.
Sarah Schofield, director of customers and communities at Adra, said: “There is a huge demand for quality affordable housing in Gwynedd, which also reflects the national picture.
“This proves that by working together, this issue could be solved. It’s clear that collaboration is one of the solutions to tackling housing issues in north Wales.”
Cyngor Gwynedd is not the first local authority in Wales to adopt such a plan. In 2019, Cardiff Council said it was aiming to acquire 160 open market homes to address the shortage of affordable housing.
Similar schemes have also been run in other parts of the UK. In Scotland, Dundee City Council revealed in 2022 that it would start buying homes from the open market. This action was then followed by Angus and West Lothian councils.
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