The next phase of plans to improve access to social housing will see the age threshold for eligible applicants without children lowered to 18 amid a “growing supply of new homes to meet demand”.
The change, which will take effect in January 2026, was announced as Housing Minister Sam Mézec unveiled an update to a roadmap published by his ministerial predecessor Deputy David Warr in 2023.
Deputy Mézec noted that a key commitment in the roadmap, which has since seen several changes made to the eligibility requirements for social housing applicants, is to “open the door to more islanders”.
Now is the time to further improve opportunities for those looking for affordable, good-quality homes, particularly for younger islanders who may not see a future in Jersey
Housing Minister Sam Mézec
He announced that the new changes will include lowering the age threshold for eligible applicants without children from 25 to 18, and introducing a ‘general needs’ category for those who do not currently meet the criteria for the first three priority bands on the Affordable Housing Gateway.
The minister said this would help ensure that younger adults and households who do not meet existing priority criteria “can benefit from the stability and affordability of social housing”.
Deputy Mézec added: “This next phase of the roadmap reflects our commitment to respond to evolving housing needs and make social housing more inclusive.
“Introducing a general needs band will open the door to more islanders, ensuring that younger adults and households who do not meet existing priority criteria can benefit from the stability and affordability of social housing.”
The update comes not long after Andium Homes chief executive Lindsay Wood told the Public Accounts Committee that the affordable housing provider had delivered more than 300 new homes across its estates so far this year – and has contracts in place to deliver hundreds more.
At the end of last year, Andium announced that it had secured £100 million from private institutional investors to help fund its development programme.
Deputy Mézec said: “Not only have we made significant progress against the previous roadmap, but there is a growing supply of new homes to meet demand.”
He continued: Now is the time to further improve opportunities for those looking for affordable, good-quality homes, particularly for younger islanders who may not see a future in Jersey.”