JERSEY must stop prioritising flats and start building more family homes if it wants to reverse its falling birth rate and tackle the so-called ‘bean drain’, the Housing Minister has said.
Deputy Sam Mézec made the comments after the government unveiled a long-term infrastructure strategy this week, which includes a target of delivering up to 400 affordable homes a year over the next decade.
He said the focus must now shift to building more two- to four-bedroom houses that can meet the needs of families – rather than continuing a trend that has seen most new development centred around smaller units.
Deputy Mézec said: “Jersey has had years of building more and more flats, which has been great for those who have needed those homes and it has enabled us to widen the social housing criteria.
“But because of our falling birth rate and waiting lists for family-sized homes, it is clear that this is where we need to shift our focus in the coming years.
“We can’t blame people who want to have families for looking at leaving Jersey if we aren’t providing them the right options here.”
The proposals come after recently released data showed that Jersey’s birth rate is continuing to plummet – with the Island’s fertility rate now among the lowest in the world and well below the level needed to maintain the population without migration.
Meanwhile, the most recently available figures from Statistics Jersey showed the number of people living in Jersey in their 20s and 30s dropped by 7% between 2017 and 2023. Population estimates for 2024 are due to be published at the end of next month.
Deputy Mézec also said that better use could be made of the existing housing stock by supporting downsizing properties in rural parishes.
“This will help us get better use of the homes we already have, because Jersey has very high rights of under-occupation,” he said.
The latest House Price Index showed that the average cost of a four-bedroom house in Jersey is now £1.15 million.
Two-bedroom houses sold for an average of £544,000, while three-bedroom houses rose in value to £734,000.
Deputy Mézec also told the JEP that the government is considering more flexible shared housing arrangements.
He said: “In terms of more flexible shared living arrangements, this is something we intend to look at for the purposes of short-term key-worker accommodation… There are parts of this that could work for young people looking to live together, too.”
The Investing in Jersey plan – which pledges thousands of new affordable homes over the next decade – is being presented as an antidote to the Island’s shrinking working-age population and the growing numbers of young people choosing to leave the Island.
A new Capital Investment Fund, expected to launch in 2026 with an initial £80 million, would be used to support infrastructure projects and protect them from political delays or future budget cuts.
Andium Homes, the government-owned housing provider, welcomed the investment strategy and said it was ready to deliver more homes.
“Our current development pipeline is already delivering more than 800 new homes, for renters as well as opportunities for assisted purchase through our Andium Homebuy scheme,” said Chief Operating Officer Carl Mavity.
“There is no question that we can do more and Andium Homes stands ready to deliver the well designed, sustainable, and energy-efficient homes the Island needs.
“We look forward to playing a central role in this transformative programme and to helping realise the Government’s ambitions.”
The States of Jersey Development Company also welcomed the plans.
“Our role is to unlock the potential of publicly owned land through well-planned, sustainable developments that provide a balanced housing supply across all income levels and categories,” a spokesperson said, adding that the proposed Capital Investment Fund “will accelerate investment in development sites, and we look forward to supporting the Government, Andium, and other stakeholders in delivering much-needed housing for all Islanders”.
What are the key housing proposals included in the plan?
- More family-sized housing (two-four bedrooms) through Andium, JDC and private partnerships
- New homes for key workers, particularly in health, education and emergency services
- Expansion of shared equity schemes such as Homebuy and First Step to help young Islanders get a foot on the property ladder
- Relaxing housing restrictions on registered workers in specific sectors
- Housing for older Islanders, including downsizer properties and retirement communities
