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The new 'priorities list' as set out by the Chief Minister and her Council are of course all laudable in the round. However, the list is hardly a new list at all.
The age-old problem of housing Affordability and the cost of living has been around for years!
Whatever plan our government comes up with, we are reminded that we, Jersey, operates in a market economy. Alas, that is the problem and it is why housing in particular is so expensive and frankly unaffordable for so many not least the key workers we so desperately need.
Linking housing to the market rate when the market rate is so unaffordable is unsustainable - look at the number of vacancies in health and social care, for example, or teaching and all the other key areas that are so essential and valuable to our general wellbeing.
We hope to build a new hospital one day! Who is going to staff it when so many of the staff we need cannot afford to buy or indeed rent a decent home in Jersey?
So housing and cost of living is yet again a key priority - it always is - yet!
It has not been addressed in the past so why on earth should anyone of us believe now that this time the Government has a plan to resolve the problem?
We have lots of landlords in government - the Chief Minister herself, for example - so, is it any wonder the term 'vested interests' comes rising to the fore when the very mention of tackling the housing affordability crisis is talked of as a key priority?
Reduce the rents in social housing so nobody is having to claim benefits, raise the bench mark for who qualifies for social housing, base rents on a percentage of household income, provide key worker housing using affordability based on a percentage of household income, build more social and key worker rented at low cost and help to buy.
Stop using market economy on which to base affordability. Surely a radical solution is required to tackle housing affordability? Or will it just be yet another term of office for a government that has a plan but fails to produce a solution?
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