Emergency housing call 'makes no sense'

EMERGENCY housing would help to keep families in crisis together, a former board member has said.

But current member Deputy Mike Hadley dismissed the suggestion, saying that the department already accommodated islanders in desperate need.

The issue was raised by Deputy Barry Brehaut, pictured, who was concerned about the lack of available housing on the island. He said the department's stock had shrunk from 2,400 units in 2004 to 1,700.

He admitted the Guernsey Housing Association had provided accommodation since then, but this was for a different type of tenant

'What I'm suggesting is that when you have a family in crisis, when a family has to sell up and the mother and children might have to move away from the father, there should be a provision of emergency housing so people can go somewhere safe and secure when the family splits up,' he said.