SOCIAL housing eligibility criteria has been further widened to help younger Islanders without children to qualify.
The changes, announced by Housing Minister Sam Mézec yesterday, include lowering the age at which an applicant can access social housing from 35 to 30 and raising the maximum annual income thresholds for those who require a one-bed home – to £38,818 for single applicants and £52,462 for joint applicants.
The figures previously stood at £32,300 and £40,700 respectively.
Both changes are in line with a roadmap for improving access to social housing, published last July by former Housing Minister David Warr – which saw the criteria widened in September.
The age requirement is due to be lowered again to 25 later in the year.
Deputy Mézec said: “I am pleased to announce these changes to expand eligibility for social housing to more young people. A key aspect of resolving our housing crisis is to ensure that all Islanders who need it are supported into affordable housing.”
He continued: “Until now, younger people without children have had no choice but to pay high rents in the private sector, and potentially live in rental stress, because they were excluded from accessing social housing.”
He added: “Because of the brilliant work of Andium in developing more homes, we are now in a position to be able to offer social housing to more Islanders, without overwhelming the waiting lists.
“As even more new homes are delivered, I am hopeful we can continue to widen the eligibility criteria, so social housing can be a tenure of choice across our community for all who need it.”
Deputy Warr described the changes as “good news”.
He added: “Andium’s build programme is really starting to come to fruition now which is fantastic.”
