Not all council homes in Wales will reach a decent standard by the Welsh assembly’s 2012 dealine, it was claimed at a Welsh housing conference last week.
Despite the news, delegates warned stock transfer was not the only solution, and called for debate on the alternatives.

Delegates accused speakers of “chickening out” of discussing transfer as an option for Wales’ ageing housing stock in favour of awaiting the national assembly’s Community Mutual Model as a means of investing in housing.

Phil Roberts, assistant director of housing at Swansea council, said: “It seems unlikely that the Welsh housing quality standard will be achieved with current resources.

“Some councils will be unable to meet the 2012 deadline and transfer is one of the things they may have to think about if they can’t make the target.”

There were also calls for a portion of the £300m extra budget cash earmarked for the Welsh health service to go towards improving housing conditions.

Steve Thomas, head of strategy policy at the Welsh Local Government Association, told delegates that transfer was “not the only show in town” and called for a national housing debate.

Opposition to stock transfer remains firm in the face of the expected community mutual model, despite hopes it will create more jobs and prospects for regeneration.