Welcome to Tô Gwyrdd online

This site aims to provide a useful resource of information about affordable and sustainable housing, progress reports on our project in

Newport and information about how you can get involved.

Newport housing needs survey

A housing needs survey for Newport undertaken in February 2006 has now been completed. Over 200 forms were returned. The data will be processed in March and a full report be made available in the near future. For further information on the survey, contact Matthew Owens the Rural Housing Enabler for Pembrokeshire.

matthew.owens@rhe-pembs.co.uk

Locals priced out of the market

To Gwyrdd has prepared a housing health check to highlight the lack of affordable housing for local people. Average house prices in the town at around £250,000 are up to 13 times what most people are earning, way above the 3.5 times income that mortgage lenders offer. The full survey is available here. Housing health check form Newport

Making it happen

The well attended public meeting that took place on March 30th 2006 at the Newport Memorial Hall, marked a significant milestone in addressing the lack of affordable housing for local people in the town.

Through a variety of multimedia presentations, which included the launch of the website and the screening of a promotional film on the work of To Gwyrdd, the strong sense of committment and purpose in the group was shared with the wider community, along with the achievements of the last 18 months.

The meeting was informed that the organisation is now constituted as a company and registered charity and is ready for action. A site has been offered to the group and feasibility studies along with outline plans are being prepared for sustainable and affordable homes for local people.

"Early indications, based on the high level of returns received from the housing needs survey, confirm that there is a strong need for affordable housing in Newport" said Matthew Owens as part of his presentation to the meeting.

The meeting also provided an opportunity for our partners, Gwalia Housing Association, to introduce themselves and their work. Their presentation began by focussing on global sustainability and the role that housing has to play in reducing the size of our ecological footprint from the current 3 planet lifestyle towards the goal of a 1 planet more sustainable future. It ended with a focus on the potential of the site in Newport and the role that they would be playing in supporting the group to meet its aims.

The evening culminated in a lively and constructive open discussion, with lots of useful feedback, questions and comments from those attending.

Realising an impossible dream

To Gwyrdd's latest press release focusses on how impossible it has become for people on local wages to own a home in their own community. The full story is available here.

Press Release March 06 English

Press Release March 06 Cymraeg