1,409 people in Merthyr Tydfil are waiting for a one-bedroom property
There isn't enough one-bedroom accommodation in Merthyr Tydfil according to a new report. The Valleys Lead looked at how this is impacting residents.
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Merthyr Tydfil’s Affordable Housing Development Policy 2026-2030 says that the latest review of housing need confirms “acute shortage of one bedroom, general need accommodation.”
We spoke with one Merthyr Tydfil resident about the impact of the one-bedroom property shortage, local councillor Geraint Thomas, and a spokesperson from Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council to find out why the problem exists, who is impacted, and what can be done.
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1,409 people in Merthyr Tydfil are waiting for a one-bedroom property
For the last five years, one mother in Merthyr Tydfil has been watching on as her son struggles to access one-bedroom accommodation.
“Nathan had previously rented privately in Aberfan after he and his wife separated,” Paula Phillips-Hurt, a 61-year-old in Merthyr Tydfil, told The Valleys Lead. “But after the pandemic, he was diagnosed with hereditary spastic paraplegia, and his legs stopped working. Nathan was assessed by the Occupational Therapist who works for Merthyr Housing, and he agreed Nathan needed an accessible property.”
Nathan was placed on the housing register five years ago, and still hasn’t been housed, despite being moved from a Band 3 (low priority) to a Band 2 (medium priority).
“There aren’t enough one-bedroom properties available,” Paula said. “When he bids, there are typically over 100 people before him bidding on the same property.”
A report has found what Paula and many others in Merthyr Tydfil already know – that there isn’t enough one-bedroom accommodation available.
In Merthyr Tydfil’s Affordable Housing Development Policy 2026-2030, set to go before a scrutiny committee, it says that the latest review of housing need confirms “acute shortage of one bedroom, general need accommodation.”
As of July 2025, there were 1,409 active applications for one-bedroom homes, representing 60% of all housing need in Merthyr Tydfil. Of these, 261 households have the highest priority (Band 1 or 2), but the majority remain in Band 3, reflecting non-statutory need.
Historically, Merthyr Tydfil’s social housing stock has been made up of family sized homes rather than one-bedroom properties.
