The Housing Policy Development Board has set its objectives for 2019.
The board, which was established by Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré last month, has identified the need to carry out a wide-ranging review of housing in Jersey, in order to deliver sustainable long-term solutions that will address challenges in the local housing market.
The review will include looking at ways to encourage home ownership, reduce rental stress, and improve the supply and standard of island homes.
Funding of up to £122,780 has been approved by the Treasury Minister, Deputy Susie Pinel, to enable the board to hold the review, and an independent specialist consultancy firm, Altair, has been appointed to conduct it.
Senator Le Fondré has approved the full membership of the board as:
- Michael De La Haye (independent chair)
- Senator Sam Mézec
- Deputy John Young
- Deputy Kevin Lewis
- Deputy Susie Pinel
- Deputy Gregory Guida
- Deputy Lindsay Ash
- Deputy Carina Alves
- Connétable John Le Bailly
- John Scally (Executive Director of Caritas Jersey, as lay member)
The Minister for Children and Housing, Senator Sam Mézec, said: “The Government has made a commitment to improve the quality and affordability of housing in Jersey, which the Housing Policy Development Board has been established to deliver upon. However, we recognise that challenges in Jersey’s housing market cannot be solved overnight, but require long-term solutions to ensure we have a sustainable housing market for future generations.
“This is a complex piece of work, which involves many different stakeholders and encompasses issues such as housing finance, the island’s legal system, land use policies and our system of housing qualifications. Altair has been appointed to support this work, and ensure that we can deliver coherent, well-researched and funded recommendations for implementation from 2020 onwards.
“Altair has a broad range of experience of the housing sector in many different countries, and its specialist support and recommendations will help us to deliver new and innovative housing policies and funding options that work in Jersey’s housing market and enable us to improve the supply, affordability, access to, and standard of housing.”
Government of Jersey Press Release.