"This is why young people are leaving Jersey"

Thursday 02 September 2021

The former Housing Minister has blasted the Government for "refusing to take any meaningful action to address housing affordability" , which he says is driving young people out of the island.

Senator Sam Mézec's comments came as the Government confirmed that a minimum of 15% of homes built on the Planning and Environment offices at South Hill would be set aside for first-time buyers.

The announcement coincided with the posting of a Facebook advert for a cramped-looking £925pm "studio" flat, which the Senator said exemplified why it was so urgent the Government needed to do more.

According to policy guidance in relation to the States of Jersey Development Company's South Hill development published by Ministers yesterday, the Government should:

• ensure that buy-to-let investors are prevented from acquiring units on the Development at the initial point of sale;
• take such steps as are necessary to provide that the Development and the units thereon are structured by way of Flying Freehold;
• and ensure that a minimum 15% of the units eventually constructed are provided for a first-time buyer shared-equity scheme, for which access and eligibility criteria will be established by the Minister for Housing and Communities.

Pictured: Designs of the South Hill development released so far.

But Senator Mézec said this new guidance didn't go far enough.

"Jersey faces a housing crisis, where many thousands of islanders are in rental stress and families are losing hope of ever getting onto the housing ladder.

"We have 2,000 applications on the first-time-buyers waiting list, with 1,000 more waiting for social housing. The Government has been told by the States Assembly that we did not agree with their previous proposal to allow South Hill to be used as a cash cow for property investors, but instead it must go towards meeting Jersey's demonstrable housing need."

Pictured: Senator Mézec said the States Assembly had been clear to Ministers that South Hill must not become a "cash cow for property investors."

He continued: "To now find out that they are proposing as little as just 15% of the homes for affordable purchase shows that they are not taking this issue seriously and are prepared to squander yet another opportunity to make a difference.

"The government's proposed Bridging Island Plan is projecting the development of just 1,500 'affordable' homes in the next 4 years, which is half of what we know we need today.

"Their lack of ambition on housing is failing Islanders and must be addressed.

"I am calling on the government to bring forward a more ambitious proposal, which will deliver a greater proportion of affordable homes on this site, and further commit to ensuring that all homes they build on government-owned land are designated as affordable, and not to be sold on to investors."

That evening, the Senator also took to social media to call out the Government on its slow progress on tackling the affordable housing dearth after spotting a St. Saviour's Road-based studio apartment, which he described as "so small you can't even open your fridge without moving the TV or get out of your fold-up bed in the morning without climbing over the sofa".

The fact such a property had attracted a £925pm rent, according to the Facebook ad, was an indication "something is desperately wrong", according to Senator Mézec.

His post went on to criticise Government for its opposition to:

• banning inflationary rent increases;
• providing security for tenants through open-ended tenancies;
• cutting social housing rents to a more affordable level;
• and ensuring all homes meeting basic health and safety standards before they are allowed to be rented out.

He added: "Now you have announced that you will be opposing more proposals to ensure public land isn't used for developing investment properties to be rented out at extortionate rates, or to require private developers to reserve some of the homes they build for first-time-buyers.

"There is no hope so long as our government buries its head in the sand and does nothing to help ordinary Islanders, especially young people, put a roof above their head so they can get on in life."

The post generated a significant reaction, with more than 700 people reacting to the post, and more than 300 commenting, many of whom shared their experiences of housing struggles in Jersey.

It's not the first time the ex-Minister has aired his frustration with the Council of Ministers in relation to affordable housing - in fact, he is calling for Ministers to be formally reprimanded through a 'motion of censure' for failing to release a report on the Waterfront redevelopment on time.

This 'vote of censure' will be debated in the States Assembly on 14 September.

LISTEN...

Jersey Housing Trust Chair Michael Van Neste spoke about the island's "fractured" housing provision, and what he thinks the Government needs to do to address it...

The Housing Issue

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