Cyngor Gwynedd has purchased land in Caernarfon, Llanystumdwy and Mynytho in a bid to build affordable homes and tackle the housing crisis.

The council has completed the purchase of development land in Llanystumdwy and Mynytho, with the intention of building houses under the Tŷ Gwynedd building programme. 

These are in addition to the Tŷ Gwynedd schemes which are also underway in Bangor, Llanberis and Morfa Nefyn, with the aim of building 90 of these type of houses by 2027.

If the planning applications are successful, the new homes will be available either to rent on affordable rent or to buy through a shared equity scheme.

Their intention is to provide homes for local people who may not qualify for social housing, but who find it difficult to buy or rent on the open market.

All Tŷ Gwynedd houses will adhere to specific design principles, namely that they are affordable, adaptable, sustainable, energy efficient and designed to improve the wellbeing of the residents living in them.

Another land purchase was also recently completed near Frondeg in Caernarfon, close to other land already owned by the Council, and discussions regarding its development are making good progress.

These projects are all part of Cyngor Gwynedd’s £140 million Housing Action Plan, to address the housing shortage in the County and ensure that Gwynedd residents have access to affordable housing in their own communities.

Cllr Craig ab Iago, Cyngor Gwynedd Housing and Property Cabinet Member, said:  “It’s well-known that there are not enough suitable homes for the people of Gwynedd in our County at the moment, and the need is still greater than the supply.

"We have more than 5,000 individuals on the social housing register and we are facing a homelessness crisis where the council is having to place a record number of people in emergency accommodation. We as a council are doing as much as we can to tackle this crisis, by buying private property and offering incentives to bring empty houses back into use.

“Alongside plans to bring housing back into the hands of Gwynedd residents, it’s vital that new homes are built, and buying development land is the first step in making that a reality.

"These developments will be necessary to provide the basic human right of safe and decent homes for the people of the county.”

Carys Fôn Williams, Head of Cyngor Gwynedd's Housing and Property Department, added: “As a department, we are committed to building affordable, high quality homes for the people of Gwynedd, and I am very proud to see these key elements of our Housing Action Plan progressing well.

“If you are interested in selling land or property to the Council, please contact [email protected] or call 01766 771000. Thanks to everyone involved in these recent purchases.

“The first step for people who need an intermediate affordable home is to check if they are eligible to apply with Tai Teg, which administers the register for this type of housing on behalf of Cyngor Gwynedd."

There is more information on the Cyngor Gwynedd website.