Flintshire’s Local Housing Market Assessment

The Local Housing Market Assessment (LHMA) is a statutory function of the local authority which is conducted periodically.

The LHMA helps authorities to understand what the housing need is across the county and informs future strategies and development plans, including the 2025 Housing Strategy. 

One of the key outputs from the LHMA is the estimated shortfall between existing and predicted housing need, and supply of accommodation inclusive of turnover of the existing supply, and newly planned delivery of accommodation. The previous LHMA and Housing Strategy predicted an annual shortfall of 238 affordable homes. The latest LHMA now suggests a shortfall of 432 affordable homes (72% of those for affordable rent). This is an expected rise, given the increases in homelessness across Flintshire, Wales and most of the UK.

As currently identified in Flintshire County Council’s (FCC) housing prospectus, the LMHA highlights the need for more large homes (4/5 bed) and smaller homes (1/2 bed homes), particularly general needs housing which represents over 86% of the shortfall.

Colleagues in FCC Planning and Housing teams are working closely together to ensure initiatives such as the Local Development Plan, Welsh Government Planned Development Plan and acquisitions through the WG transitional accommodation capital programme (TACP) support the need identified in the LHMA. Although the latter two funding streams will not address the shortfall in full, positive steps are being considered to continue to grow and diversify Flintshire’s portfolio of housing, such as the sheltered housing accommodation review. 

Helen Brown – Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities said:

“Over the last few years local authorities have seen a rise in the need for social housing due to outside pressures such as the cost of living crisis, increases in rental costs, and the introduction of the Renting Homes Wales Act and the challenges this brought for private landlords. It’s great to see Flintshire taking action and working collaboratively to not just provide housing, but ensuring we provide the right type of accommodation in the area identified to address the need of our residents in Flintshire.”