Whether Jersey’s Housing Minister has the power needed to tackle the Island’s housing crisis has been questioned by politicians and housing experts at a live panel event hosted by All Island Media.
At the Housing… Crisis Averted? debate, held last week at the Pomme d’Or Hotel and sponsored by Tenn Capital, panellists discussed whether Deputy Sam Mézec has the tools to deliver the changes to Jersey’s housing sector that many believe are urgently needed.
In the latest in a series of special reports looking at the topics raised at the event, we take a deeper look at the panel’s views on this issue…
Jersey Homes Trust consultant Michael Van Neste said the system was not working as it should and argued that a stronger and more centralised housing department was needed.
“You need a Minister with a portfolio and a strong presence who keeps other ministers active in solving the housing crisis,” he said. “You need to stop the fragmentation of housing and the situation we are in.”
Mr Van Neste said housing had never been treated as a core government responsibility in the same way as education or health, and as a result, Jersey lacked a long-term housing strategy.
“What concerns me is the lack of real government policy in the field of housing,” he said. “It’s the government’s responsibility to ensure that everyone has a decent home. We’ve never had a housing policy. And at the moment, housing is fragmented under different ministries.”
He continued: “You have a very able politician here, but he has very few regulatory powers, and very little opportunity to create policies.”
Mr Van Neste went on to criticise the way housing responsibilities had been shifted between departments over the years, most recently sitting under Social Security after moving from Infrastructure and Environment.
He said: “Sam [Mézec] has good staff, good civil servants, but lacks the powers needed to bring forward long-term policies. Housing is a complex matter that needs to be properly centred.”
Responding to the idea of giving him greater powers, Deputy Mézec joked: “Giving me more power is probably an idea that terrifies some people.” But, he made clear that the real challenge was the way Jersey’s political system is structured.
“Our cabinet system is not as effective as it should be,” he said. “If we had a better democratic government and voting system, then that would get better.”
Deputy Mézec argued that the way ministers with opposing views are forced to work together under the current system means it can be difficult to get agreement on important issues, which limits progress.
“Our entire system is based on a method that simply doesn’t work. Everybody knows it,” he said. “When ministers fundamentally disagree but are pulled together by the electoral system, you can’t be surprised when decisions are slow, and the government ends up going around in circles.”
Former Housing Minister Deputy David Warr described his own experience in the role as a lesson in learning how to persuade other ministers.
“Housing is always going to be a cross-ministerial issue,” he said. “It is about persuasion, though, isn’t it? It’s about persuading other ministers around the table.”
He continued: “We are constantly fighting against ourselves,” he said. “Why can’t we get enough joined-up thinking? It’s a really complex issue, and it’s a pan-government issue.”
He added that to make real progress on housing, politicians would need to focus on long-term solutions rather than short-term political wins.
“Sometimes you need to forget about the next election and try and benefit the island in the long run,” he said.
