A new report by The Bevan Foundation suggests that old chapels and worship spaces could be renovated and repurposed to provide homes and increase the housing stock that’s available to people living in temporary accommodation.
According to the Bevan Foundation 1 in every 215 households in Wales live in temporary accommodation. Often this accommodation is insufficient or unsuitable for these families and this can have a long-term impact on health and wellbeing. The Bevan Foundation notes that the root of the problem is a lack of social and community housing and the slow supply of new houses being built.
The report looks at the challenges present when building new houses such as Local Development Plans, landowners refusing to release their land to be developed and the high cost of land while also providing alternative solutions to be considered. One way of increasing the housing stock available for the purposes of providing social and community housing is to turn spaces such as chapels and churches that are no longer used and turn them into homes. The report notes that this not only provides a benefit to those that need homes but also helps prevent these buildings from falling into ruin and the far reaching negative social effects that comes with the deterioration of such buildings.
The report was produced in collaboration with Housing Justice Cymru and Cwmpas, and it was funded by The Nationwide Foundation. You can learn more about the report, and read it in it’s entirety by following this link to The Bevan Foundation’s website.
