Julie James, Minister for Climate Change, meets nine housing campaign organisations. Mae Julie James, y Gweinidog dros Newid yn yr Hinsawdd, wedi cyfarfod â naw o sefydliadau ymgyrchu tai.
Campaign and community organisations working to address the housing and homes crisis in Wales came together on 26th September to meet with the Minister for Climate Change, Julie James MS.
The meeting was the culmination of months of organizing by Siarter Cartrefi with nine campaign groups – Cymdeithas yr Iaith, Dyfodol i’r Iaith, Gorau i Gymru, Acorn, Undod, Melin Drafod, Hawl i Fyw Adra and Sail.
Representatives from the Welsh Language Commission, Well Being of Future Generations Office and the Electoral Reform Society Cymru were also present.
The Campaigners met with Julie James to ask for Welsh Government backing for an Emergency Housing Conference which would debate policy ideas to put to Citizens Assemblies. The Minister acknowledged the importance of enabling the voices from the wider community and agreed to support the Conference. A working group formed from both the Minister’s department and representatives of the campaign organisations will now work towards an early spring conference.
‘This is a significant step’ said Rob Idris, spokesperson from the campaigners. ‘We are feeling very positive after Julie James’ supportive response. We need to see a breakthrough on these big issues, we can only succeed if we are all working together to find the solutions we need’.
A Conference will bring together under one roof the various campaigning organisations and others interested in solutions to the Housing Crisis and an opportunity to generate momentum towards new and radical policy ideas.
‘By bringing out the experiences and ideas of the wider community we can build on the Welsh Government’s ability to solve the current problems’, said Cara Wilson of Siarter Cartrefi.
Climate Change Minister Julie James said: “I am pleased to be able to support the Siarter Cartrefi conference which provides a valuable opportunity for community engagement where we can hear a wide range of voices that will help as we continue to work on our approach to affordable living across Wales.
“We are committed to building 20,000 low-carbon homes for social rent and have made a series of key changes to planning and taxation legislation. We also recently launched our Welsh Language Communities Housing Plan as part of our commitment to ensuring the vitality of Welsh as a community language.
“The Welsh Government doesn’t have all the answers and I’ve always been clear that communities have a vital role in identifying and taking opportunities – I am sure this conference will play a major part in this work.”
Sophie Howe, Wellbeing of Future Generations Commissioner for Wales added her voice of support for this initiative.
”There is wide agreement on the impact that the housing crisis is having on the wellbeing of current and future generations, in particular on their right to live and thrive in healthy resilient communities. I believe that the solutions will be best found in co-creation with those most affected.
In my 2020 Future Generations report, I recommended that the Government should involve communities in creating a vision for housing. The fact that the Housing and Climate Change Minister Julie James is committed to working in co-production with communities, and that Siarter Catrefi and key partner organisations in the movement will be collaborating with the Government to help them deepen their involvement practice, bodes well for future wellbeing in Wales”.
Daeth mudiadau ymgyrchu a chymunedol sy’n gweithio i fynd i’r afael â’r argyfwng tai a chartrefi yng Nghymru ynghyd ar 26 Medi i gwrdd â’r Gweinidog dros Newid Hinsawdd, Julie James AS.
Roedd y cyfarfod yn benllanw misoedd o drefnu gan Siarter Cartrefi gyda naw grŵp ymgyrchu – Cymdeithas yr Iaith, Dyfodol i’r Iaith, Gorau i Gymru, Acorn, Undod, Melin Drafod, Hawl i Fyw Adra a Sail.
Roedd cynrychiolwyr o Gomisiwn y Gymraeg, Swyddfa Llesiant Cenedlaethau’r Dyfodol a Chymdeithas Diwygio Etholiadol Cymru hefyd yn bresennol.
Cyfarfu’r Ymgyrchwyr â Julie James i ofyn am gefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer Cynhadledd Tai Brys a fyddai’n trafod syniadau polisi i’w rhoi gerbron Cynulliad Dinasyddion. Cydnabu’r Gweinidog bwysigrwydd galluogi lleisiau’r gymuned ehangach a chytunodd i gefnogi’r Gynhadledd. Bydd gweithgor a ffurfiwyd o adran y Gweinidog a chynrychiolwyr y sefydliadau ymgyrchu nawr yn gweithio tuag at gynhadledd yn gynnar yn y gwanwyn.
‘Mae hwn yn gam arwyddocaol’ meddai Robat Idris, llefarydd ar ran yr ymgyrchwyr. ‘Rydym yn teimlo’n bositif iawn ar ôl ymateb cefnogol Julie James. Mae angen inni weld datblygiad arloesol ar y materion mawr hyn, dim ond os ydym i gyd yn gweithio gyda’n gilydd i ddod o hyd i’r atebion sydd eu hangen arnom y gallwn lwyddo’.
Bydd Cynhadledd yn dod â’r gwahanol sefydliadau ymgyrchu ac eraill sydd â diddordeb mewn atebion i’r Argyfwng Tai ynghyd o dan un to a chyfle i greu momentwm tuag at syniadau polisi newydd a radical.
‘Trwy ddod â phrofiadau a syniadau’r gymuned ehangach at y bwrdd gallwn adeiladu ar allu Llywodraeth Cymru i ddatrys y problemau presennol’, meddai Cara Wilson o Siarter Cartrefi.
Dywedodd y Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd, Julie James: “Rwy’n falch o allu cefnogi cynhadledd Siarter Cartrefi sy’n rhoi cyfle gwerthfawr ar gyfer ymgysylltu â’r gymuned lle gallwn glywed ystod eang o leisiau a fydd yn helpu wrth i ni barhau i weithio ar ein hymagwedd at lefydd fforddiadwy i fyw ledled Cymru.
“Rydym wedi ymrwymo i adeiladu 20,000 o gartrefi carbon isel ar gyfer rhent cymdeithasol ac wedi gwneud cyfres o newidiadau allweddol i ddeddfwriaeth cynllunio a threthiant. Yn ddiweddar hefyd lansiwyd ein Cynllun Tai Cymunedau Cymraeg fel rhan o’n hymrwymiad i sicrhau bywiogrwydd y Gymraeg fel iaith gymunedol.
“Nid oes gan Lywodraeth Cymru’r atebion i gyd ac rwyf bob amser wedi bod yn glir bod gan gymunedau rôl hanfodol i’w chwarae wrth adnabod a manteisio ar gyfleoedd – rwy’n siŵr y bydd y gynhadledd hon yn chwarae rhan fawr yn y gwaith hwn.”
Ychwanegodd Sophie Howe, Comisiynydd Llesiant Cenedlaethau’r Dyfodol Cymru ei llais o gefnogaeth i’r fenter hon.
“Mae yna gytundeb eang ar yr effaith y mae’r argyfwng tai yn ei chael ar les cenedlaethau’r presennol a’r dyfodol, yn enwedig ar eu hawl i fyw a ffynnu mewn cymunedau iach, cydnerth. Credaf mai’r ffordd orau o ddod o hyd i’r atebion yw cyd-greu â’r rhai yr effeithir arnynt fwyaf.
Yn fy adroddiad Cenedlaethau’r Dyfodol 2020, argymhellais y dylai’r Llywodraeth gynnwys cymunedau wrth greu gweledigaeth ar gyfer tai. Mae’r ffaith bod y Gweinidog Tai a Newid Hinsawdd Julie James wedi ymrwymo i weithio mewn cyd-gynhyrchu gyda chymunedau, ac y bydd Siarter Cartrefi a sefydliadau partner allweddol yn y mudiad yn cydweithio â’r Llywodraeth i’w helpu i ddyfnhau eu harferion cynhwysol, yn argoeli’n dda ar gyfer lles yng Nghymru yn y dyfodol”.
Siarter Cyfiawnder Cartrefi 