HSSD launches crackdown on overcrowded accommodation
Friday 8th May 2009, 11:30AM BST.
A CRACKDOWN on overcrowding in accommodation is on the way.
At the end of the month the States will consider proposals by the Health and Social Services Department to strengthen public health legislation so that weaknesses in current law can no longer be exploited.
‘The department considers that the current legislative standard is woefully inadequate and fails to meet the basic requirements of some of the most vulnerable members of the community,’ said Health and Social Services minister Hunter Adam (pictured) in the States report.
‘It has been and will continue to be exploited by landlords, especially those employing short-term labour and providing employment-tied accommodation.’
The department said the definition of overcrowding, which dates back to the mid-1930s, was currently ‘open to abuse’ on several points.
Because it was based on volume, the legislation was powerless to prevent the occupation of either very high rooms with insufficient floor area for the occupants to lie down or very low rooms with insufficient height to stand up in.
‘While this is an extreme example, in practice knowledgeable landlords can and do use the weakness in the drafting of the legislation to cram as many individuals into as small a floor area as possible,’ said Deputy Adam.
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Sounds fair enough.
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Fair enough but misses the point that one of the reasons people are crowded into sub-standard accomodation is because many properties used as accomodation for lower income individuals/families are gradually being sold off to developers who upgrade them to a level beyond these people’s means then either sell them off or rent them at a profit.
I’m not opposing legitimate business however the fact is the more this happens, the less accomodation will be affordable to people on lower incomes, the more this kind of overcrowding will happen. It’s inevitable as there will be more people competing for less accomodation, leaving the way open to unscrupulous landlords.
I don’t know what the answer is, perhaps some restriction on development is necessary or a rule that developments must include provision for lower income families?
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We were rented an office once and the fire brigade came around for an inspection. There was no fireescape from one floor and the building failed. We never heard from the fire brigade again, the landlord never fixed the problem, we carried on. The point is that some legislation already exists, it seems that the most of it is never applied.
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Continuing to build build build on such a small and beautiful rock as Guernsey will only hasten the islands demise as a delightful place to live. The fact is there are millions of people in the world who would love to live in Guernsey. The reality is, they cannot, and there is only one answer to the decades-old cry regarding the shortage of accomodation………
….namely a population cap. Yes, it’s a tough solution especially for those who are not already living in Guernsey, yet to save themselves from over-population other communities around the world have taken the plunge. Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island, Canada is one of many who have put a population cap into law and it is working very well for them.
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Why are HSSD chasing what would appear to be a Housing issue? Foreigners 10 up in a small room or packing sheds wouldn’t at first glance appear to be a Health issue?
The underlying message being Housing are derelict? Smacks of distinct disjointment if one gov dept are trying to use their laws to sort out what should be another depts area of concern.
Strange and more to this than meets the eye
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You’re quite right Jackie, although I would imagine it’s the Social Services side of the department more than heath.
Still, surely it’s an issue for Housing?
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