Care & Repair Cymru would like to congratulate Rhun ap Iorwerth MS on his appointment as First Minister of Wales

We look forward to working with him and the new Welsh Government to continue supporting older people to live independently in safe, warm, accessible homes.

We look forward to working with the new First Minister, as well as the soon-to-be elected ministers for housing and health, as they implement the pledges set out in their manifesto and plan for their First 100 Days in government, in particular their commitments to:

Building on existing services to deliver housing adaptations and home improvements so that older people are able to live independently and safely in accessible homes.

• Introducing changes to the Warm Homes Programme so that we can do further and faster on improving home energy efficiency: raising living standards, tackling fuel poverty, and reducing carbon emissions for more households, more quickly.
• Beginning the work of legislating for a Right to Adequate Housing: something that Care & Repair have long supported.
• Promote the health and wellbeing of older people through a new Older People’s Health Plan with a focus on preventative health measures.
• Prioritising preventative healthcare and tackling the root causes of ill-health including housing. This strongly aligns with Care & Repair’s work and our demonstrable impact: Care & Repair adaptations reduce hospital admissions for older people from injurious falls by 17% (saving around 35,000 Welsh NHS bed days each year).

At a time when many older households in Wales face increasing challenges with the condition and affordability of their homes, we will continue to highlight the need for a Safety-Net Grant to protect those most at risk from poor housing.

Everyday Care & Repair sees older people living in unfit and unsafe housing with no means of improving their situation. A national Safety-Net Grant to address hazardous disrepair where no other recourse is available will ensure that that every older person in Wales can live in a warm, safe and accessible home and no older person is left living in a home that is hazardous to their health.

You can find out more about our call for a Safety-Net Grant, learn about our pilot scheme and pledge your support.