Call for ‘bold action’ to improve housing market

Call for ‘bold action’ to improve housing market

The Housing Policy Development Board was established by Chief Minister John Le Fondré in March 2019 to examine Jersey’s housing market and form proposals to improve the access to and supply, affordability and standard of housing. Its report was published by Senator Le Fondré yesterday.

And the government has been advised to borrow funds if necessary to build new homes and use compulsory-purchase powers to ‘unlock sites’ for development.

In 2014, the States agreed to borrow £250 million to invest in social housing – which at the time was the largest amount in the Island’s history.

The report states: ‘The evidence gathered by the board is clear – Jersey’s housing market is not fit for purpose and will not improve without bold action and significant change from the status quo. The HPDB recognises the scale of this challenge, as well as the challenge facing the government to agree and implement comprehensive and impactful solutions.’

Former Housing Minister Senator Sam Mézec – who recently lodged a proposition for States debate calling for several of the development board’s recommendations to be enacted – has previously accused the Chief Minister of delaying the report’s publication, and said that he was treating the situation with ‘complacency’.

The report was published on the same day that the government released its draft bridging Island Plan, which outlined proposals to build more than 4,000 new homes by the end of 2025, a significant proportion of which would be designated as affordable housing (see pages 4 and 5).

Statistics contained within the policy development board’s report show that those over 65 years old make up around 17% of Jersey’s population but account for about a third of all homeowners in the Island – and live in a quarter of the homes. It estimates that there will be around 11,000 more pensioners living in Jersey by 2035.

It also makes a series of recommendations to be considered by the Chief Minister. These include the introduction of rent stabilisation legislation and a rent commission to monitor and decide appropriate levels for annual increases, as well as setting social rents at ‘affordable levels’.

Additionally, it calls for a ‘significant’ government-backed development programme to be mobilised following an appropriate feasibility study, and says that a government estate strategy should be created – setting out how public land should be used for housing.

Senator Le Fondré said: ‘While the recommendations are not policy and do not commit the Council of Ministers to a particular course of action, the work of the board provides a good foundation to inform our consideration of this important topic.’

Housing Minister Russell Labey added: ‘Our aim must be to make the purchase of a home in Jersey a more realistic prospect, and the rental of a home as safe, secure and as stress-free as possible.’

Senator Mézec said he was calling for the government to ‘unequivocally’ back the recommendations made by the Housing Policy Development Board so that the housing ‘crisis’ could be resolved.

‘While serving as Housing Minister, I was able to pre-emptively secure funding and resources to implement the recommendations from this report when it was published,’ he said. ‘The Chief Minister has delayed the publication of this report for six months, and now has no excuses for not being ready to offer a full response right away. He should tell the public whether or not he supports the recommendations and what his plan is for their implementation.’

He added: ‘Either way, I will be asking the States Assembly to approve the recommendations in relation to rental housing. As a first step in showing their commitment to this work, the government should offer to support my proposition to take us forward.’

The board comprised former States Greffier Michael de la Haye, who acts as an independent chairman, John Scally as a lay member and nine politicians – Senator Sam Mézec, Environment Minister John Young, Infrastructure Minister Kevin Lewis, Treasury Minister Susie Pinel, Assistant Environment Minister Gregory Guida, Assistant Treasury Minister Lindsay Ash, Deputy Carina Alves and Constable John Le Bailly.

A political oversight group is to review the board’s recommendations.

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