Wakefield Housing Plan 2023-2026

In April 2023, we launched our new Housing Plan 2023-2026. This Plan sets out our housing vision, ambitions, and priorities over the next three years.

The core vision of our Housing Plan is:

For Wakefield to have a robust housing offer that promotes regeneration and economic growth. This includes a wide range of high-quality and diverse housing options that meet the needs of all residents. Our goal is to create sustainable communities with affordable and healthy homes for everyone.

It’s important that our residents live in good quality and healthy homes, that they need and want. This is essential for our communities in many ways. Good homes support economic growth, carbon reduction, and improving health and well-being. Our new Housing Plan sets out how we will work across the Council and with our partners to make this happen.

Despite challenging times, the previous Housing Plan 2019-2022 made good progress, including:

• 4,482 new homes built including 709 affordable homes
• housing-led regeneration masterplans adopted and progressed at:
  • City Fields
  • Knottingley
  • Pontefract
  • Wakefield City
• 424 empty properties brought back in to use
• 1,271 private rented sector hazards removed
• 116 Houses in Multiple Occupation licences issued
• 543 energy efficiency measures installed through Council schemes
• 1,030 households supported through Money Smart, increasing incomes by £724,433
• New Healthy Housing Referral Pathway established
• New Private Rented Sector Access scheme developed and launched

A consultation exercise informed the new Housing Plan 2023-26. The result are 12 priorities and a supporting delivery plan for the next three years. The delivery plan themes, and priority action areas are below:

Theme 1 – More Homes – High quality housing growth

• deliver strategic housing sites to regenerate key parts of the District
• improve the quality and design of new housing
• increase the supply of affordable housing
• ensure there is the necessary infrastructure to support new housing developments

Theme 2 – Better Homes – Safe and healthy homes that meet local need

• improve specialist housing options for specific groups
• ensure the supply of good quality, healthy and safe private rented properties
• ensure alignment and coordination of housing to health needs
• address migrant housing need and provision

Theme 3 - Sustainable Communities – Resilient people and sustainable housing

• increase the delivery of home energy efficiency retrofitting
  • this is to tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions
• support households to be financially resilient to the challenges of the cost-living-crisis
• area focussed improvements to help build stronger communities
• early intervention to tackle homelessness through partnership working

The Housing Plan will be delivered by a range of Council services and external partners all working together. The Council’s Housing Plan Programme Board will oversee performance and annual progress will be reported to Cabinet.

The Wakefield Housing Plan 2023-26 is available here.

A summary of the Wakefield Housing Plan 2023-26 is available here.

For more information contact Strategic Housing at housingviews@wakefield.gov.uk.