High cost of Guernsey housing prompts move to France

Single people in Guernsey have little chance of buying a home in the island, one islander has said.

Self-employed teacher Aeva Love has moved to France citing the "high cost and quality of housing in Guernsey" as one reason she looked elsewhere.

A new report found more than 1,500 new homes were needed in the next five years to meet the "housing crisis".

Chief Minister Peter Ferbrache said he would like to see land bought by the States and used by private developers.

Miss Love said: "It's completely pointless thinking about buying in Guernsey.

"The banks would laugh at me if I walked in looking for the smallest mortgage possible.

"I love Guernsey for what it looks like, but it doesn't feel like my home. It feels very unwelcoming.

"There's a lot said about encouraging entrepreneurs and I run an independent business that is now doing quite well. I don't feel supported by the States.

"Ultimately I see Guernsey being a playground of the rich, which makes me angry."

The latest proposals from the States is asking for politicians to agree to aim to build 1,565 new "units of accommodation" between 2023 and 2027.

The breakdown of those homes is 844 properties in the private market and 721 affordable houses, made up of 473 social houses and 248 partial ownership properties.

Guernsey's Committee for the Environment and Infrastructure wants to get the Development and Planning Authority to work on policies "to actively encourage housing developments to use land as efficiently as possible".

Committee President Lindsay De Sausmarez said: "This is the level of housing we think will be needed to meet the needs of the population over the next five years."

"This will help inform all the decision makers, like developers and the States committees."

"It helps us track how close we are for meeting this need. It isn't set in stone though, but now this is done in-house we can be far more flexible."

Ellie Jones and her partner are currently living apart to help them save for deposit for a house.

Miss Jones said: "We would like to buy locally but sadly with huge rates of inflation and the current spiralling cost of living the amount we need to save for a deposit has gone up £10,000 in the last 12 months alone."

She said the situation had left her feeling like leaving the island.

She said: "It makes me feel depressed, anxious and hopeless.

"The only real way for us to get on the housing market is to apply for the part-rent part-buy scheme. We've put our names down for this but believe the current waiting time is two to three years for properties.

"I love Guernsey, I love my job, I love my friends and family and the life I've made here but we are likely to have to look at leaving if the situation doesn't change in some way."

Policy and Resources President Peter Ferbrache believes the biggest priority for the States this year besides tax reform is resolving the "housing crisis".

He has suggested the States buys land, before being sold on to people.

Last year the States spent more than £30m purchasing sites for affordable housing, like the Data Park and Kenilworth Vinery.

Deputy Ferbrache said on top of that some kind of lending scheme to help people to buy would also be worth looking at.

Analysis by John Fernandez, BBC Guernsey Political Reporter

The States is very good at setting things that aren't targets, which look suspiciously like targets.

Maybe it's because last decade it set a target for 300 new houses a year - it didn't meet it once - so the word aim is better.

We've had the "aim" for 300+ net migration and now an aim to build 1,565 new "units of accommodation".

Not calling it a target gives the States wiggle room so that it can't be held to account if it doesn't meet them.

Because on housing it's not going to be a quick win. The States can buy swathes of land for affordable housing, but with the construction industry already at capacity getting them built is another thing altogether.

This new indicator will give States members more evidence to encourage more housebuilding.

But ultimately, when these aims and ideals meet the cold light of day things like Open Planning Meetings, age-old considerations like finite and inflexible infrastructure, traffic concerns and the like could prove to be a stumbling block for the States "aim".

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