Promise to speed up social housing
Vaughan Gething launches manifesto in Wales leadership campaign
Last updated 12th Jan 2024
Vaughan Gething says, if he was elected leader to be First Minister of Wales, he would speed up the building of social housing in Wales.
The current economy minister also says he would improve existing social housing, and create a National Manufacturing Institute for Wales to create highly skilled jobs in the sector.
Building social housing
To help improve the gap in social housing, Vaughan Gething says planning decisions on major developments of social housing will be accelerated.
He also says he will ensure public funds are converted into social housing "as soon as possible".
Gething says he will "incentivise innovations" to build more sustainable housing with lower running costs for those living there.
In a statement, he says: "By accelerating building social housing, we can help people across the country build a more secure future for themselves and their families and lay the foundation for a fairer Wales."
Improving current housing
On top of building more social housing, Vaughan Gething also says he will improve existing social homes.
He says this will be done through retrofitting to "reduce fuel poverty and tackle the climate emergency".
New green jobs
Finally, Vaughn Gething says he will focus on creating greener jobs in the sector, through plans for a National Manufacturing Institute for Wales.
This new institute will "prepare people and businesses for highly skilled jobs in the sector", he says.
Gething also says the Welsh government will help councils and social landlords "combine their purchasing power" to create green manufacturing jobs in Wales.
Vaughan Gething is going up against Education Minister Jeremy Miles for leader of Welsh Labour and First Minister of Wales after Mark Drakeford announced he was standing down in December.
The new First Minister will be elected in March.