There are many myths about housing in Monmouthshire. One that I hear from people in other parts of Wales is that everyone in our lovely county is retired, rich and lives in a big house. Obviously that is not the case, but like many myths it has a tiny bit of truth behind it: we do have a larger number of detached homes than the Welsh average and a more retired people than both Newport and Cardiff.

Other myths concern social housing. I’m told by sceptics that the only people offered social housing are addicts, that everyone who is offered social housing is on benefits. Others, being peddled by people who seek to divide our community, is that new homes aren’t going to local people and that ‘affordable housing’ isn’t really affordable but is some kind of trick played by developers.

So here are the realities. When we talk about affordable housing we mostly mean homes for rent by Registered Social Landlords (commonly known as Housing Associations), on secure long-term tenancies.

These homes have to meet high standards set by Welsh Government and the rents are set significantly below market rents for the area. The ‘affordable housing’ label also covers a small number of homes to buy, which in Monmouthshire is usually a scheme by which working people who can pay a small mortgage but not housing-market prices can get on the housing ladder.

Locally we have a shortage of social rented homes. The mismatch between local wages and house prices makes it very hard for people, especially single people, to rent or buy in the area.

The most common reason for seeking a social rented home is homelessness, but there are also people leaving the services, care leavers, people who have fled domestic abuse, people unable to afford to rent privately and disabled people who need an adapted home.

Around half the applicants are working or self-employed, and most are under 45, although there are also older and retired applicants. Almost ninety percent of the people offered a home last year were already living in Monmouthshire, most of the rest had family here. The very small percentage of people housed who are not from a white British background is in line with Monmouthshire’s population generally.

Every new home we can build gives someone a new start, a secure home, a place to build a life.

So despite what you may hear, anyone can become homeless. In Monmouthshire we are making every effort to build and buy new social rented homes and they are going to people who live, work, and have grown up here.