THOUSANDS of Islanders could see their residency status rebranded from “registered” to “standard” under proposed changes to Jersey’s housing and work regulations.
The move, which would not impact their ability to access properties, is detailed in the report accompanying the government-lodged Draft Control of Housing and Work (Residential and Employment Status) (Jersey) Regulations, which lists a number of changes intended to “update” the existing controls, “simplify the structure and language” used and “provide additional rights in some areas”.
This would include altering the definition of an “eligible partner” to include a person in an “enduring relationship”, as well as a marriage or civil partnership, and introducing an “Entitled For Work Only status on hardship grounds” that could make it easier to assist people “in exceptional situations”.
“This status would allow a person to work in any role but would not give them access to qualified accommodation,” the amendment explained.
Under the proposed changes, someone with “Entitled For Work Only” status would be able to occupy qualified accommodation when they lived with an “eligible partner” who held licensed or entitled status.
The draft regulations have reignited calls to address the situation faced by people restricted to registered accommodation because they have not lived in Jersey long enough.
According to Statistics Jersey, there were just over 5,000 Islanders with registered status in December 2023.
One of the proposed regulations would make “standard status” the new name for “registered status”, but the amendment states that there would be “no policy change” in this area.
“This name change helps to prevent confusion between a registered person and registered accommodation,” it added. The JEP has asked the government for clarification about this “confusion”.
Michael van Neste, the former head of social housing provider Jersey Homes Trust – who, in 2022, described the Island’s housing qualifications system as “discriminatory” – said there remained a need to “seriously look at some relaxation of the controls that prevent [some] people from renting in Jersey”.
He explained: “I appreciate that in Jersey we have to protect local homeowners and renters so they can occupy affordable accommodation, but surely the objective must be that we have enough accommodation in the Island to house Jersey residents well and affordably but also that we can offer decent affordable accommodation to people who come to the Island to work here.”
At a Chamber of Commerce lunch last July, Housing Minister Sam Mézec labelled current housing qualifications “unfair” and “discriminatory”, telling business leaders that the system belonged in a “bygone era”.
