MENTAL-HEALTH issues and alcohol and drug use are among the main drivers of homelessness in the Island, according to recently released statistics.
Housing Minister Sam Mézec’s latest Homelessness in Jersey report, which draws together information from several organisations providing support to vulnerable Islanders, includes figures for the third quarter of 2025.
It showed that, between 1 July and 30 September last year, there were 344 service visits by 333 islanders to homeless accommodation and service providers.
There were 280 people classed as being “houseless”, meaning they have a temporary place to sleep, such as institutional or shelter accommodation.
And 45 were classed as living in “insecure housing”, which includes situations where a person is living in an insecure tenancy, under an eviction order, living temporarily with friends or family, or living in a domestic-abuse situation.
There were less than five people people classed as being “roofless”, which includes those sleeping rough.
The report also documented a number of reasons for a person becoming homeless or being at risk of experiencing homelessness, with substance use cited the most often (14%) followed by mental-health problems (11%).
Deputy Mézec said that: “It shows that it is multifaceted, and there’s lots of things that affect what might lead someone into homelessness.”
But he noted that “we are very regularly bringing the homelessness charities around the table” and continuing “cross-departmental working” with other ministers.
He also cited the work of the Housing Advice Service, which he said had grown in recent years.
“Because of the capacity that that team has been given, they’ve been able to do things like have specialists within their team who are the contact point for different things.
“By that, I mean they’ve got people now who will actively go and do outreach at different places, rather than sit in Union Street and wait for people to come to them.”
