CAMPAIGNERS marched through the historic mid-Wales town of Machynlleth on Saturday to call for a property Act to help the housing crisis and support the Welsh language.
Hundreds of people attended the Nid yw Cymru ar Werth (Wales is not for sale) rally and march to demand the Welsh government introduce legislation on property rights.
They want to establish a legal right to a home, ensure that houses are treated as a community need rather than as financial assets and boost local ownership and community enterprises of property.
Plaid Cymru deputy leader Delyth Jewell said: “Wales is not for sale is the call, and we shout those words until every syllable is echoed in our Senedd today.
“Without intervention, there will be no future for our communities. We will campaign, we will persevere, we will demand change.”
Welsh Language Society/Cymdeithas yr Iaith spokesman Dafydd Morgan Lewis said: “We are facing a crisis and our young people are exiled from their communities, unable to find affordable homes to live in.
“There was a promise of a white paper from the government over the summer, but we’re still waiting for it.
“The government is committed to securing one million Welsh speakers by 2050. What chance do we have of achieving that if young people cannot afford to live in their communities?”
A Welsh government spokesman said: “Wales has so much to offer visitors and we want to ensure that we realise that potential in a way that achieves a sustainable balance between our communities, businesses, landscapes and visitors.
“We believe everybody has a right to a decent, affordable home to buy or to rent in their communities so they can live and work locally.
“The changes to the local tax rules for self-catering accommodation and second homes are designed to help develop a fairer housing market and ensure property owners make a fair contribution to the communities where they own homes or run businesses.
“We will continue to monitor the effects of this legislation to ensure it is achieving its intended goals.”
A recent YouGov poll, commissioned by Cymdeithas yr Iaith, recorded that 74 per cent of people said they believed the right to housing should be established in Welsh law.
