Common Strategic Policy 2026 – 2030 (P.75/2026): twenty-fourth amendment (P.75/2026 Amd.(24)) – comments
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2026 P.75 Amd.(24) Com.
COMMENTS
The Council of Ministers does not support this amendment, which proposes removing housing delivery as a priority within the Common Strategic Policy.
Access to affordable, good quality, secure housing remains a key issue for islanders and is a key factor in retaining younger, working age people in the community. Ensuring that Islanders can access homes that meet their needs, whether through home ownership, private or social rented housing, or other forms of housing, must therefore remain a strategic priority for the Government.
This is an important area of work for both the Minister for Housing and the Minister for Planning and Regulation during the current term of office. Government and arm's-length entities remain necessary to deliver housing that the market alone may not provide, particularly affordable and social rented homes. Increasing supply is one of several tools available to improve affordability and that constrained supply tends to place upward pressure on prices and rents.
For many Islanders, the issue is initially whether they can afford a home at all. Later it is whether they can move as their circumstances change, and whether they can access a home that meets their needs and aspirations.
Being in a stronger position than previously forecast does not remove the need for continued housing delivery or invalidate housing as a strategic priority.
Future housing requirements also remain sensitive to a range of factors, including demographic change, migration and wider economic conditions. The Government must therefore retain the ability to support housing delivery and respond to changing circumstances over the lifetime of the Common Strategic Policy.
Housing need projections depend on migration assumptions, demographic change and household formation, and maintaining an adequate pipeline of housing remains necessary even where projected need has reduced.
Whilst the private sector will continue to play a central role in providing homes, the Government also has an important role through planning policy, infrastructure investment, support for home ownership and working with housing providers to help meet identified housing needs.
Ministers reject the suggestion that reference to assisted purchase schemes should be removed from the Common Strategic Policy. Assisted purchase schemes are one of the most important mechanisms through which the Government can support access to home ownership. They remain an important policy tool that has formed part of Jersey's success in helping Islanders purchase their own home.
Retaining reference to assisted purchase schemes within the CSP does not predetermine the design, scale or funding of any future scheme. Rather, it preserves the ability of the Government to consider such measures, alongside other interventions, where appropriate.
Including these schemes within the CSP establishes a strategic objective only and does not remove the Assembly's ability to scrutinise or approve specific scheme proposals.
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P.75/2026 Amd.(24) Com.
In summary, housing affordability, access to home ownership and access to suitable housing remain major concerns for many Islanders, who would expect ministers to maintain a focus on enabling housing delivery, as set out in priority 6 of the Common Strategic Policy. It remains the case that the Island needs to continue to work towards reaching a balance between changing supply and demand in the island's housing market in order to support a good quality of life for the population.
The Council of Ministers does not support this proposal and asks Members to reject the amendment accordingly.
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P.75/2026 Amd.(24) Com.