Hundreds march for a Property Act

Hundreds march through Machynlleth calling for Property Act

Hundreds of people attended a Nid yw Cymru ar Werth (Wales is Not for Sale) rally and march in Machynlleth on Saturday, 14 September, demanding that the Welsh Government introduce a Property Act to alleviate the housing crisis and secure the survival of Welsh-speaking communities.

A Property Act would establish the legal right of the people of Wales to a home, ensure that houses are treated as a community need rather than financial assets, and facilitate local ownership and community enterprises of property.

The rally took place two days before Owain Glyndŵr Day, which marks 624 years since he was crowned prince of an independent Wales. Owain Glyndŵr famously held his Senedd in Machynlleth.

Addressing the crowd, Delyth Jewell, Member of the Senedd and deputy leader of Plaid Cymru, said:

"Here in Machynlleth was the site of our first parliament. It is a crossroads where our history and our present meet. There are still remnants of Glyndŵr on the streets - but it is the struggle of today, not yesterday, that brings us together.

"'Wales is not for sale' are the words of our call. To unite, to challenge, to persevere: a call that shows we will not give up.

"Without intervention, there will be no future for our communities. Without intervention, there will be an end to that thread that connects each of us with those who have gone before. The Welsh language has sustained us for centuries. The language is still alive today.

"'Wales is not for sale' is the call. And we shout those words until every syllable is echoed in our Senedd today. We will campaign, we will persevere, we will demand change"

Dafydd Morgan Lewis from Cymdeithas yr Iaith said:

"We are facing a crisis. Our young people are exiled from their communities and 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. That eternal delay once again! If it comes before the end of the year, I hope it will be a radical one. One that will ensure the statutory right of people to a home in their community at a price that is affordable and that reflects local wages.

"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?

"I have no doubt that Owain Glyndŵr would approve of our rally today and join us in the call for a Property Act, and nothing less!"

In a recent Yougov poll, commissioned by Cymdeithas yr Iaith, 74% of people said they believed the right to housing should be established in Welsh law. Excluding those who answered 'don't know', 85% supported the principle.