Welsh government writes to housing associations for assurances after ITV News investigation

ITV News Political Correspondent Daniel Hewitt has the details of the Welsh government's pro-active approach

The Welsh government has written to every housing association in the country seeking assurances tenants are not living in poor conditions.

It follows an ITV News investigation into housing in England that brought to light the squalid conditions some families were living in.

In a major intervention, ministers have asked for details of every unresolved disrepair claim across the 240,000 social homes in Wales - advising associations they have until July 23 to respond.

Watch the appalling conditions ITV News uncovered at the Eastfields housing estate in Mitcham, south London

In the correspondence seen by ITV News, the Welsh government wrote: "The recent TV and press coverage of tenants of social housing living in conditions described as squalid, with widespread disrepair and seemingly being ignored when raising concerns will no doubt have troubled you as much as they have troubled me."

It continued: "No social landlord in Wales should be in a position where they have systematically failed their tenants and not provided the service they paid for and deserve."

ITV News Correspondent Daniel Hewitt explains why this is a "big intervention" from the Welsh government

The Welsh government will be writing to local councils too, seeking a "general assurance statement" and the breakdown of disrepair claims.Housing providers will have to provide the address, date, nature of the disrepair claim, and a summary of its progress.

Do you have a story to share about housing conditions? Email housingstories@itv.com