Jersey’s Government has announced major changes to who can apply for social housing.
Key changes were unveiled by the island’s Housing Minister, Deputy Sam Mézec on Friday 19 December.
The reforms, which form part of an update to the original roadmap published in 2023, mean more islanders can apply for subsidised housing, opening access to those who do not currently meet the priority criteria.
The changes come as more than 600 households are currently on the Affordable Housing Gateway waiting list.
The updated roadmap includes:
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Reducing the age limit from 25 to 18 for applicants without children (from January 2026).
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Immediately reducing the amount of time a person with ‘Entitled’ status has to be resident in Jersey to access social housing from six months to three.
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Immediately increasing access to social housing on hardship grounds on a case-by-case basis to try and reduce the risk of homelessness.
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Introducing a new “general needs” band for those who don’t meet any of the “priority criteria” (from January 2026).
“Not only have we made significant progress against the previous roadmap, but there is a growing supply of new homes to meet demand,” the Housing Minister told ITV News.
“Now is the time to further improve opportunities for those looking for affordable, good-quality homes, particularly for younger Islanders who may not see a future in Jersey.
“Introducing a general needs band will open the door to more Islanders, ensuring that younger adults and households who do not meet existing priority criteria can benefit from the stability and affordability of social housing.”
The roadmap includes several other changes, including an annual review of income thresholds to ensure they remain aligned with affordability and cost-of-living changes.
There will also be quarterly reviews of long-standing applications to “ensure timely allocation” and “identify barriers to accessing housing”, alongside a “targeted review” of Band 1 prioritisation.
The Housing Minister says that those at risk of homelessness or urgent housing needs would “remain the highest priority” for social rented housing.
In 2024, the Housing Minister widened access to social housing for islanders aged 25 and over who do not have children.
Deputy Hilary Jeune said she continually hears from young people about the cost of housing in Jersey. Credit: ITV Channel
Deputy Hilary Jeune, who chairs the youth homelessness charity Jersey Association of Youth and Friendship (JAYF), welcomes the announcement.
“Every day, we hear from youngsters that the cost of living in Jersey is really related to housing, and that’s a big problem. Lots of youngsters want to leave the island.”
The Deputy added that she doesn’t believe the new changes will increase pressure on social housing providers like Andium.
“Andium has built a lot of one and two-bedroom flats recently. There’s more coming on the market and coming into their possession in the coming months, and those can be used to help this reduction in the age group to 18.
“There are also a lot of family homes being built at the moment, meaning more families can move out of homes that are not right for them”.
Deputy Jeune added that young people struggling to pay their rent can access income support from the island’s government, as well as support from JAYF.
The head of a domestic abuse charity says the housing updates are “transformational” for women. Credit: ITV Channel
Kate Wright, CEO of Jersey domestic abuse charity FREEDA, told ITV News the changes are going to have a “life-changing impact” on women’s lives.
Individuals with ‘Entitled’ residential status who have lived in Jersey for less than ten years are currently unable to access social housing.
It currently means that victims of domestic abusers who have lived in the island for less time may feel pressured to stay with their abuser to avoid becoming homeless.
“It means [victims] are left with the terrible choice to either return to their perpetrator with their children or if they’re here on a spousal visa – to potentially leave the island,” Ms Wright explained.
Under the new changes, this restriction will be removed, allowing all Entitled individuals to be eligible if they satisfy all other criteria.
“One of the greatest barriers a lot of women face is access to social housing, so removing that barrier removes the biggest barrier for women escaping their abuser.”
Ms Wright believes it’s a much more “humane approach” to supporting vulnerable people on the island who are not necessarily Jersey-born and haven’t lived on the island for more than ten years.
“It’s about looking at their lives and not just how long they’ve lived on the island.”
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