Affordable housing strategy for under 25 year olds

2025.11.25

3.5   Deputy H.L. Jeune of St. John , St. Lawrence and Trinity of the Minister for Housing regarding a dedicated strategy of affordable housing for Islanders under 25 years of age (OQ.263/2025):

Further to Oral Question 14/2024 and Written Question 361/2025, will the Minister provide an update on any progress made in the development of a dedicated strategy to address the challenge of affordable housing for Islanders under 25 years of age?

Deputy S.Y. Mézec of St. Helier South (The Minister for Housing):

I do not recall in the specific questions the Deputy has highlighted reference to a dedicated strategy per se. But I would hope it can be taken as axiomatic that the broad agenda that I am pursuing as Minister for Housing has large elements in there which are specifically targeted at Islanders under the age of 25. The adoption of the Residential Tenancy Law will have been a big step forward for young Islanders looking to get independence and leave their family homes but into a rental sector which provides some greater security and stability. The quantum of new homes provided by Andium will enable more young Islanders to get on the housing ladder. It is the case that Islanders under the age of 25 have benefited from the first-home buyer schemes that Andium has led on. But on top of that I would like to say to the Deputy and to States Members that in the next few weeks I am preparing to make an announcement on what will be the next steps in widening eligibility for social housing. I am very much looking forward to doing that, and there will be things in there for the age group that the Deputy has referenced.

1. Deputy H.L. Jeune :

I thank the Minister for his answer. I am wondering if the Minister could advise whether his widening of the eligibility that will be announced in the next few weeks, if he is consulting with different housing providers to ensure that this support for under 25s is not developed in isolation and it comes in a number of other elements as well.

Deputy S.Y. Mézec :

That will of course be part of the package. What I will be announcing in a few weeks will not be the immediate turning on of new eligibility rules, but it will be announcing the pathway towards getting that. Within that process we will be able to build in whatever consultations that we need to do to make sure that it is not just a knee-jerk reaction but that it is done at the right time and the right moment with all the right support in place.

2. Deputy J. Renouf of St. Brelade :

Beyond the question of the widening of access, I wonder if the Minister does have in mind a strategy that would knit together various aspects of policy to address the issue that Deputy Jeune has raised.

Deputy S.Y. Mézec :

I believe I answered that in my first question. I think it is axiomatic that the entirety of the agenda that I am promoting as Minister for Housing has specific elements in it which are clearly applicable to young Islanders. I use that term rather than referring to a specific age group because lots of this will appeal to 26 year-olds as well. It is a big part of a narrative that I have pursued in advocating for my agenda as Minister for Housing that one of the key aims ought to be to restore hope among young people that they can have a decent and prosperous future in Jersey without being held back by the housing difficulties that the housing crisis has faced up until this point.

3. Deputy J. Renouf :

Could the Minister then pick out one or 2 of the things that he is planning to do or has in mind as part of that comprehensive response?

I believe I pointed out 3 of those in my opening question. That was the thankful adoption of the Residential Tenancy Law and next it is enactment, that will be key to providing younger Islanders with confidence that the rental sector will be one in which they will have better odds than they have had under the old law; providing more first-home buyer opportunities has been a part of that. I hope that in the near future we will be able to trial new first-home buyer products that are not exactly like the ones we have had until this point, so that they might appeal to more people in different sorts of situations and of course the social housing eligibility that I referred to as well.

4. Deputy K.L. Moore of St. Mary , St. Ouen and St. Peter :

Will the Minister share with me the pleasure that affordable homes are now being delivered on sites in St. Peter that his party voted against in the Bridging Island Plan?

Deputy S.Y. Mézec :

If you are going to take a shot at least aim properly because my party voted in favour of the Bridging Island Plan and we voted in support of Deputy Moore , as Senator Moore as she was at the time, when she brought amendments outside of the Island Plan process for those sites in St. Peter . I am pleased to correct the record.

5. Deputy K.L. Moore :

Without wanting to engage in a debate, I do believe that they voted against the green zone sites for affordable housing. But I am grateful and pleased to hear that the Minister is encouraging greater supply in the market of affordable homes.

The Bailiff :

Do you want to respond, Deputy ?

Deputy S.Y. Mézec :

When you are in a hole stop digging.

6. Deputy I. Gardiner of St. Helier North :

As a previous Minister for Children and Families in the previous term and the current Minister for Housing, would the Minister advise what action has been taken to ensure there is all the transition for the care leavers into the secure housing?

Deputy S.Y. Mézec :

This is something I feel very strongly about. I was Minister for Children and Families when some of the preparation work on corporate parenting legislation was done. It is something I am very much personally committed to. As it stands, we have what is called the Partnership Pathway within the Housing Gateway. That has basically different eligibility criteria in that people below the age of 25 can access that, and they access it with the support and referrals from other agencies because it is a more involved process to help those people get into homes, rather than just giving someone a set of keys and then forgetting about them after that; that is a key element of that.

7. Deputy I. Gardiner :

Thank you for that, Minister. I am sure the Minister is aware that we still do not have proper housing for the care leavers under 25. Would the Minister advise what work he has done with the Minister for Children and Families, himself and his team to increase proper housing for the care leavers during his last 2 years?

Deputy S.Y. Mézec :

I am unsure what the Deputy means by "proper housing"; could she elaborate on that? Deputy I. Gardiner :

To have adequate housing for the care leavers.

I am still unsure what she means. Does she mean designated buildings or does she mean a framework within all of our buildings that mean they could be appropriate?

Deputy I. Gardiner :

I am sure that the Minister knows that not 100 per cent of the care leavers are housed in their own flat after they have left the Minister's care. Because of various conditions, some of them are not ready to live independently and some of them do not have available housing on the market to move in. My question, what work is underway and how much work was done between the children and housing to ensure that we are raising a number of care leavers housing in their own flats and making sure that they can hold the tenancy?

[11:00]

Deputy S.Y. Mézec :

I attend Corporate Parenting Board meetings, which are chaired by the Minister for Children and Families. He chaired one of those meetings yesterday and creating stable and loving homes is a frequent agenda item on those meetings. If the Deputy would like a further update on that I am more than happy to do so for her.

8. Deputy H.L. Jeune :

It is welcome that the Minister has confirmed that he will announce a pathway to expand the eligibility for social housing for those below the current limit, which is 25 years of age. Can the Minister advise if Andium has the right housing mix currently to provide homes for those young Islanders or would Andium need to be building more to provide for young Islanders, and does the housing mix involve young Islanders?

Deputy S.Y. Mézec :

I kind of struggle with that question because Andium has an extremely extensive building programme as it currently stands. They are on site delivering between 700 and 800 homes at the moment. That is just a general part of their agenda that they are increasing the number and the mix of homes. It is because of the opportunities that that provides that we are in the fortunate position of being able to consider widening social housing eligibility. I think that is something that they are already doing.