Calls for local and community ownership in rally

A Nid yw Cymru ar Werth rally was held by the Cymdeithas yr Iaith in Bethesda on Saturday 1st November. Its aim was to celebrate and encourage community efforts to create homes, work and energy for local people and to protest against the Welsh Government's lack of action to tackle the housing crisis ahead of the Senedd election in 2026.

Among the speakers at the rally were Siân Gwenllian MP, Mel Davies, Jaci Cullimore, Osian Jones and Huw Williams (President of the Bangor Welsh Students Union).

On behalf of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, the organisation's chair, Owain Meirion, said:
"The housing crisis in our communities is more than just second homes and holiday accommodation. We know that prices to buy and rent houses on the open market are increasing much faster than local wages and that waiting lists for social housing are embarrassingly long.
"The Government isn't doing anything and there is no sign that it will do anything before the election so communities need to take power into their own hands, and that is the focus of this rally. At the same time we need to see more proactive policies on increasing the proportion of houses in public and community ownership in order to ensure the right of everyone in Wales to a home."

During her speech, Sian Gwenllian MP said:
"This [the campaign for a Property Act] is one of the Cymdeithas yr Iaith's important campaigns for years of course and finally, this is within our grasp. A law in itself will not be enough to create change of course but I fully believe that this is what is needed to drive the big change - to create a basic right and place it as a central part of Welsh law. Then action will have to be taken to realise that right."

Pictures from the rally can be seen here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iGQaMhisKGyJVQ5NVnj9HASfyvOojocZ