Carmarthenshire is facing an intensifying housing bottleneck, with new evidence highlighting its position as one of the hardest-hit areas in the country for vacant housing stock. According to data highlighted in a follow-up inquiry Bevan-Foundation-Response-to-Empty-Homes-Follow-Up-Inquiry Wales’ leading think-tank, the county stands near the top of the nation’s empty property statistics, making Carmarthenshire the undisputed empty home capital of Wales.
Why Carmarthenshire Holds the Title
The Bevan Foundation’s evidence submitted to the Senedd’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee reveals that out of 22,528 long-term chargeable empty dwellings across Wales (empty for six months or more), Carmarthenshire harbors a staggering proportion.
According to Carmarthenshire County Council’s own tax data, the local authority recorded over 2,000 long-term empty properties in the county alongside hundreds of registered second homes. The concentration of long-term vacant dwellings in both urban hubs like Llanelli and Carmarthen town, as well as rural communities, has solidified the region’s position as the epicenter of Wales’ empty homes dilemma.
The report estimates that across Wales, between 3,600 and 4,500 empty properties could be immediately suitable for purchase and conversion into social housing, a vital lifeline that Carmarthenshire desperately needs.
The Human Cost: Waiting Lists & Homelessness Figures
While over two thousand properties sit idle and falling into disrepair, thousands of local residents are left searching for a safe place to live.
Families Seeking Accommodation: Thousands of local families remain on Carmarthenshire County Council’s social housing register, facing years-long waiting periods for suitable long-term accommodation.
Homelessness Pressures: Council housing services continue to deal with overwhelming demand, opening nearly 1,750 homeless cases annually where individuals or families were assessed as being actively threatened with loss of shelter.
Emergency Placements: Over 160 households in Carmarthenshire required emergency temporary accommodation in recent reporting periods, a situation housing charity experts warn is taking a heavy mental, physical, and financial toll on local families.
“We cannot end the housing crisis in the short term by only focusing on building new homes,” the Bevan Foundation stated in its submission. “Every new social home built has been hard won with land availability, construction costs, and consent processes creating major challenges.”
Council Reacts: Tax Premiums and Meeting Debates
The issue of vacant properties has sparked intense debates inside Carmarthenshire County Council chamber.
To discourage owners from leaving homes vacant and to generate revenue for housing initiatives, the council implemented a 50% Council Tax premium on properties left unoccupied and unfurnished for over 12 months, which has since escalated to a 100% premium for longer-term empties.
In previous council discussions on housing policy and local council tax premiums, Cllr Alun Lenny (Cabinet Member for Resources) highlighted the dual blight of vacant units, noting that long-term empty properties:
“can become dilapidated and reflect poorly on the appearance of our streets, while simultaneously denying local families access to housing.”
Council discussions have also repeatedly pointed out that empty properties cost individual owners thousands of pounds each year in lost rental income, maintenance, and elevated council tax, while simultaneously burdening council environmental health teams who must handle complaints regarding vandalism, vermin, and structural safety.
What Needs to Change?
The Bevan Foundation report emphasises that local authorities across Wales, including Carmarthenshire, are severely hampered by officer capacity and administrative hurdles:
Dedicated Empty Homes Officers: Many local councils lack dedicated, full-time Empty Property Officers equipped with the resources to handle legal actions like Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) or Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs).
Flexible Social Standards: The Foundation calls on the Welsh Government to relax rigid zero-carbon purchasing criteria for existing homes. Strict retrofit demands often prevent councils and housing associations from buying older, vacant terraced homes that could immediately house a family currently staying in temporary accommodation.
Ring-fencing Council Tax Revenue: The report urges councils to ensure all income generated from Council Tax premiums on empty homes is explicitly ring-fenced for local housing support and bringing empty properties back into use.
As local authorities struggle under expanding homelessness budgets, the message from housing experts and local campaigners is clear: Carmarthenshire cannot afford to let thousands of potential homes sit idle while hundreds of local families remain without a place to call home.
