JERSEY’S Budget for 2026 and beyond has been approved with a clear message from the Treasury Minister that solutions to downsize the public sector are now imminent, as pressure mounts over the scale of government spending. Closing four days of tense debate, Deputy Elaine Millar told the States Assembly that work was already under way […]
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Backbencher takes aim at government ‘plundering’ of Social Security grant
A SENIOR backbench politician has ripped into the current government for “plundering reserves” as a way of coping with an “inability to control expenditure”. Deputy Philip Bailhache launched his broadside yesterday at the launch of his rebranded political party Advance Jersey, which he hopes will increase its presence in the States Assembly following next June’s […]
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Social housing eligibility is extended to lower age group
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 […]
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Housing Minister wants to tweak ‘unfair’ quali system
CHANGES to Jersey’s controversial housing qualification system which severely limits where many migrants live could come in next year, the Housing Minister has confirmed. Deputy Sam Mézec told a Scrutiny panel that these would be “tweaks”, for example to qualification periods or to the licensing system. Discussions were taking place in the Housing and Work […]
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Government first-time buyers scheme may continue
A GOVERNMENT assisted-purchase scheme which has helped dozens of Islanders into home ownership at a time when prices and mortgage rates are through the roof will continue into 2025, if the States agree. Housing Minister Sam Mézec yesterday launched the third round of applications for the “First Step” shared-equity scheme, which helps aspiring homeowners secure […]
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Housing Minister challenges think tank’s take on cost of living crisis
JERSEY’S Housing Minister has pushed back against a new report that linked high housing costs to government policy – arguing that the Island’s housing crisis is more “complex” than the report suggests. Deputy Sam Mézec was responding to a report by independent think tank Policy Centre Jersey, which claimed that political decisions – particularly around […]
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Remaining Haut du Mont homes set for ‘comprehensive’ refurbishment
A “COMPREHENSIVE” refurbishment of the homes which remain at the Haut du Mont site will take place to enable them to be rented to Islanders again later this year. The JEP reported this week that the southern part of the Andium Homes site, where an explosion occurred in December 2022, was to be transferred to […]
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Jersey's Housing Minister unveils new social housing plans
SINGLE people and couples without children and over the age of 25 will be entitled to social housing under new plans unveiled by Housing Minister Deputy Sam Mézec. The figure had already been lowered from 35 to 30 in March this year in line with a roadmap for improving access to social housing in Jersey, […]
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JEP exclusive: £11k for ministers’ trip to St Helena
TAXPAYERS paid nearly £11,000 for two ministers and a senior officer to travel to one of the remotest islands on Earth for a conference last month, a JEP freedom-of-information request has revealed. The total cost for Housing Minister Sam Mézec, Home Affairs Minister Mary Le Hegarat, and a senior officer from the States Greffe to […]
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Residency rule change to help migrants could be on the way
THE number of years of residency needed to rent qualified accommodation could be reduced in a bid to remove the stringent barriers many migrants face finding housing in the Island. Ministers are also considering expanding the range of jobs that qualify for licensed status, according to a new report. The plans were unveiled in the […]
