A REPORT given to council bosses in Bridgend has revealed the need for more than 2,800 affordable homes across the borough.
The latest housing market projection for the area was published ahead of its submission to the Welsh Government this month, and showed the need for an additional 2,834 social and affordable homes by 2033, with a large percentage of those being for one bedroom homes and flats.
The majority of housing need was currently said to be in southern parts of the borough, particularly in places such as Bridgend town, Porthcawl, Pencoed and Cornelly, as this is where “property prices are the highest, affordability issues are most acute, and levels of existing affordable housing are lowest relative to those in need.”
The report read: “The 2024 Local Housing Market Assessment has analysed household projections alongside key socio-economic, demographic and property market data in order to calculate housing need estimates for Bridgend County Borough. This process has provided detailed insights into the mechanics of the local housing markets to identify how housing need translates into different sizes, types and tenures of housing.”
Other key findings within the report highlighted how 71% of households in the borough owned their own home. It also added that the median house price for Bridgend and the surrounding areas was worth £214,000, with the lowest property prices found in the Garw Valley, and the highest in Porthcawl -which were said to be 56% and 66% higher than the country borough average in 2021 and 2022.
Officers speaking at the meeting said the report showed a need to diversify the types of accommodation in the area, though noted that the in-depth levels of information would now be used to develop a “long-term view” of housing need, that would inform the council’s strategies moving forward.
Cllr Rhys Goode of Nantymoel welcomed the report saying: “All of this will come together I think, to put us in a really strong position in the coming years to build new houses, regenerate large parts of the borough, and provide housing for people most in need.”
