Ceredigion’s work with housing associations has brought in around £5.5million of funding for new builds and refurbishments by “looking at things slightly differently.”

A new five year strategy for housing has now been approved by cabinet and aims to continue its success.

The strategy has been out for consultation and aims to address the needs and priorities of the county also taking into consideration impacts on the Welsh language.

“It doesn’t just look to the future, it shows the success of the current strategy to deliver the needs of the people of Ceredigion by working across the public and private sector,” said Cllr Dafydd Edwards, cabinet member for highways and environmental services with housing.

Council leader Cllr Ellen ap Gwynn congratulated officers on the “ability to draw down funding” which has helped deliver housing.

The authority has received around £5.5million of grants for housing through its work with the county’s housing associations, far more than the expected £800,000 a year Cllr Edwards told the meeting.

The key priorities of the strategy are supply and demand, finance and affordability, quality and type and suitability.

Over the next five years the county needs around 770 affordable homes, with 194 having been built between 2014 and 2017.

The council’s main partners are Wales & West Housing, Family Housing Association (Wales) Ltd, Mid Wales Housing and Tai Ceredigion as well as Maes Mwldan in Cardigan.

There was also praise for the associations’ work with communities with Cllr Lyndon Lloyd highlighting Tai Ceredigion’s development in Cenarth with older people in mind after discussions with those in the area.

“It’s important to find out what the local people need,” said Cllr ap Gwynn, who is hoping to see more houses built in Talybont.

Changes to the housing register has resulted in more information about where people want to live being recorded and “I can assure you Talybont is on the list to get houses built in the near future,” said Cllr Edwards.

Ceredigion has more than 1,000 empty properties and 1,694 second homes.

Other key figures highlighted is the demand for social housing with an average 100 applications for the housing register every month.

The council has also spent more than £1million on repairs and maintenance, ensuring the quality of housing stock, using local contractors in recent years.