THE Island will continue to fail in its aim to eliminate poverty until there is enough affordable housing, says Jersey Homes Trust chairman Michael Van Neste.
He is calling on Housing Minister Terry Le Main to allow some relaxation on the current moratorium on his support for new social rented housing schemes until an independent inquiry into them is completed. Mr Van Neste said that when the inquiry started, he believed that it was sensible for a moratorium to be put in place.
‘But that was a year ago and still there is no news of the report,’ he said. ‘I am now concerned that the momentum for the development of social rented housing has totally gone.’ In the trust’s annual report, the chairman said that no new developments were taking place and as far as they were aware, none were planned.
This was unfortunate because the Island had reached a positive stage in the development of social rented housing, but had now fallen behind again. Mr Van Neste said he had little doubt that the independent inquiry would confirm the need for further development of social rented homes, particularly because potential buyers were now finding it difficult to obtain mortgage finance.
• Picture: Mr Van Neste, pictured outside the social rented housing development at Le Coie. Picture by Jon Guegan (00427123)
