Housing association Grŵp Cynefin plans to invest £17m into building new homes this year - including targeting rural areas where demand for second homes is pricing young people out of the market.
The group already manages a total of 4,800 properties throughout North Wales and Powys and will undertake addition multi-million pound schemes this year.
They said their aim is to help build strong and sustainable communities - safeguarding heritage, culture and the Welsh language.
“I want us to get back to our roots,” says Shan Lloyd Williams, chief executive of the housing association.
“Grŵp Cynefin, like many other housing associations, needs to provide safe and affordable homes of the highest quality. But we want to do more than that, we want to create communities that our tenants and customers are proud of.
“Grŵp Cynefin has a clear goal to build strong and sustainable communities, after all we, as staff, form part of those communities.”
Shan will this week celebrate three years since starting her role as chief executive at Grŵp Cynefin but very much has an eye on the future.
She said: “As we look forward to the year ahead, we want to focus on our rural areas where statistics show second homes are a growing problem, pricing young local people and their families out of the market. The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problem.
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“Working with our partner agencies, we want to contribute to finding solutions, of creating affordable homes where young people in rural areas can afford to continue to live, work and enjoy in their localities.
“Grŵp Cynefin has a role to play in safeguarding heritage, culture and traditions and promoting the Welsh language in our work and developments.”
One such development is a mixed scheme that includes houses and bungalows at Gwalchmai on Anglesey. Llain y Delyn is a 10 property development with a mix of affordable housing and social housing tenancies that will soon be available for local people.
Grŵp Cynefin is also currently undertaking a major new health and well-being project at Penygroes, Gwynedd.
She added: “Our vision is to create a modern, bespoke hub for the community to access health and dental services, pharmacy, preventative services, social services, accommodation for older people, offices, a crèche facility and an arts space, all on one site.
“Situated in Dyffryn Nantlle, this will be a real boost to the community, one which brings together a number of partners, including Cyngor Gwynedd, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and Cwmni Theatr Bara Caws. It is a blueprint project for the county, and we are proud to be driving the project forward.”
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Across in Denbighshire, Awel y Dyffryn the extra care facility for older people is also moving apace.
The £12m project is taking shape and on track to open in September.
The 66-apartment town centre scheme in Denbigh will offer tenancy to Denbighshire residents aged 60 and over, with 24 hour on-site support. Grŵp Cynefin’s first low carbon housing estate, utilising modern methods of construction and off-site manufacture of the houses, is another ambitious project in the pipeline which will future proof homes through innovation and design.
With support from the Welsh Government’s Innovative Housing fund and in collaboration with other housing associations in North Wales, Grŵp Cynefin has ambitions to build 24 properties on land near Maes Dulyn in Penygroes, Gwynedd.
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