Community Housing Cymru and the Welsh Language Board collaborate to safeguard Welsh as a community language

[Harold Schiffman]

Community Housing Cymru and the Welsh Language Board collaborate to
safeguard Welsh as a community language

The Royal Welsh Show was the setting for the signing of a protocol
today, between Community Housing Cymru and the Welsh Language Board,
to declare their commitment to working in partnership, to collaborate
to safeguard and develop Welsh as a community language and to promote
the provision of Welsh language services to housing association
tenants.

The protocol was signed by Ian Williams, Chair of Community Housing
Cymru and Meri Huws, Chair of the Welsh Language Board.

Community Housing Cymru and the Welsh Language Board are agreed that a
shortage of housing available for rent and a shortage of affordable
housing can be detrimental to Welsh speaking communities. As a result
both organisations believe that the community housing sector has a key
role to play in efforts to safeguard and develop Welsh speaking
communities by facilitating opportunities for people to live and work
in their local communities.

Nick Bennett, Chief Executive of Community Housing Cymru said: "We are
delighted to be signing this protocol with the Welsh Language Board at
a time of great change, both in housing and for Welsh language policy.
The landscape of social housing is changing with the stock transfer
process, and over the next few months we will move from providing
housing for 5% of Wales' population to 9%. It's important that as
housing stock moves from the public to the not for profit sector that
tenants' rights to access services in Welsh remain unchanged."

Ian Williams, Chair of Community Housing Cymru added: "We look forward
to working in partnership with the Board and also in fostering an even
greater contribution towards the language from the not for profit
housing sector in Wales"

Meri Huws, Chair of the Welsh Language Board added "Affordable
housing, to buy or to rent, is a matter that receives much attention
these days, and addressing the shortage of affordable housing is one
of the key commitments of One Wales. The provision of affordable
housing could influence the nature of society, especially in
communities where the Welsh language is prominent. We, therefore,
welcome Community Housing Wales' intention and readiness to
collaborate with us to safeguard and develop Welsh as a community
language."

In order to achieve the aims of the protocol both organisations have agreed to:

*share information in order to ensure that the Welsh language receives
appropriate consideration in government consultations and policies in
the housing sector
*lobby on areas of agreement where a joint message would be more effective
cooperate in order to share good practice in Welsh language services
among housing associations
*encourage cooperation between housing associations in order to
promote Welsh language services
*cooperate when contacting new housing associations
*organise regular meetings to discuss new opportunities for joint working

the Welsh Language Board and Community Housing Cymru will review the
implementation of this protocol within a year with the aim of
assessing progress and identifying other areas for joint working.

http://changingwalesperceptions.blogspot.com/2008/07/community-housing-cymru-and-welsh.html

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