Build 1,000 homes over next five years – deputy

‘I wish I could convince everybody in the island, some people don’t seem to believe that there’s a significant housing crisis. But there definitely is,’ said Deputy Peter Roffey, who has stated the need for action.

‘Even though I think Guernsey is over-developed, and in many ways I would like to see not another single square metre of land developed, I just think we have to because it’s just a basic human need and I see the level of the demand.’

Deputy Roffey, who heads up a Housing Action Group for the States, leading the government response to the ‘crisis’, also expressed concern about private developers ‘sitting on land’ and said he wanted to see the Guernsey Housing Association securing easier access to sites to build homes.

With the States poised to announce a significant land acquisition for housing this week, Deputy Roffey also wishes that Leale’s Yard, privately owned by the Channel Islands Co-op, could be unlocked for housing and to spark regeneration of the Bridge area.

People were coming to social housing providers because they were unable to afford other options, he said, with families and single people contacting him personally every week asking for help, and underlining the seriousness of the situation.

‘I would say certainly on the social housing front, we probably could do something like another 1,000 units over the next five years. By social housing, I don’t mean just social rental housing, but also partial ownership and key worker housing.’

Health workers, he said, were being recruited from outside the island but then deciding against moving to Guernsey, either because they could not find somewhere to live, or were shocked by the price they were having to pay for housing. Deputy Roffey said they were facing spending 60-70% of wages on housing. ‘They are saying “I’m not taking that”.

‘We’re actually losing key workers we need, by having nowhere to put them.’