WIREDGOV

The Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty, Lesley Griffiths, who has responsibility for housing and regeneration within the Welsh Government, spoke about the important role the housing sector has to play in tackling poverty across Wales at an event in Cardiff.

The Minister spoke at the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Big Question conference, which was attended by around 100 representatives from the sector.

In the Minister’s key note address, she said she wanted to see continued innovation from the sector in order to help meet the challenges created by the UK Government’s policy of welfare reform.

Lesley Griffiths said:

"I am delighted to have been appointed Minister with responsibility for housing. This is a crucially important sector that has a central role in tackling poverty right across Wales.

"I am focused on making a real difference to the lives of people in Wales’ most disadvantaged communities. Having somewhere safe and secure to call home is a vitally important first step in drastically changing people’s lives for the better and enabling them to live an independent life.

"I am very concerned about the impacts of welfare reform on our poorest communities. I want housing organisations to play a central role in helping us to mitigate the worst effects of such reforms.  I am also keen to see real progress made in the efforts we take to prevent homelessness across Wales.

"Housing is also about growth and jobs and I am determined to maximise the economic and social benefits the construction of houses in Wales creates. That is why I am continuing to drive forward this Government’s ambitious commitment to building 10,000 affordable Welsh homes by 2016.

"I look forward to working with the housing sector to continue to deliver for our communities right across Wales."