According to Shelter Cymru and their report highlighted in this week’s printed editions, thousands of people and families are languishing on social housing waiting lists in west, mid and north Wales, with the charity calling the “alarming” statistics to serve as a “wake up call” to the current housing crisis.

Shelter Cymru said it is calling for “immediate action to address the critical shortage of social homes in Wales”, after Freedom of Information data showed that more than 94,000 households—representing approximately 170,000 people, including 45,000 children —are currently on waiting lists for social homes in Wales.

The charity said the data, gathered from councils across Wales, “underscores the urgency of the housing emergency and the devastating impact it has on individuals and families in housing need” and said the “staggering” 94,000 figure “can be difficult to comprehend.”

“While the concerns facing each of these 94,000 households will vary, they are all caught in the housing emergency here in Wales,” Shelter Cymru said, “an emergency that can be ended if given appropriate focus and resource.”

It matters not whether you live in Pembrokeshire or Powys, Gwynedd, Carmarthen or Ceredigion, the social housing wait is abysmal. Last year, only 2,600 social homes were delivered across Wales.

At this rate it would take a staggering 35 years to build the homes already needed now.

And with a Senedd election due in the coming year, politicians and parties who come to your doorstep in search of a vote need to be asked what do they plan to do - what concrete steps - are they planning to take as a matter of urgency to end this housing crisis.

If you’re in a single-parent family, you’re in an ever worse-off position, according to information given to Shelter Cymru. For children this can have a devastating impact, with some trapped in temporary accommodation while others have to live with the daily challenges of homes that are overcrowded, unaffordable, and in some cases filled with damp and mould.

So, with Labour in power in Cardiff and in Westminster, where is the Tangible benefit for Welsh voters?