More than 300 families waiting for new homes
Thursday 15th September 2011, 2:30PM BST.
The last house at the Bouet is demolished. Families waiting to be rehomed following the work have added to the numbers already on the waiting list for new homes.
MORE than 300 families are waiting for the States to house them, according to official figures.
And the waiting list has grown by more than half since 2007.
The Housing Department said the rise was caused by an increase in applicants and the temporary loss of some social housing because of the redevelopment of estates such as the Grand Bouet.
The latest States Strategic Monitoring Report shows that 210 families were on Housing Department and Guernsey Housing Association waiting lists at the end of 2007. On 30 June this year that figure stood at 327, a rise of 56%.
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The article does not make clear if Housing has done their usual massage of the figures in that they do not add people to the waiting list who have not done six months waiting to go on the “active list”. Therefore each applicant counted will have been waiting in excess of six months and those of less than six months or who have changed addeess in the previous six months will have been excluded. Maybe Housing would give the proper figures and the length of time the longest applicant has been waiting.
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So ive been on the list for 3 years now, my next door neighbor whos place and situation are the same as mine and we both have the same points (it all works by points). Ive been waiting 3 years for a place she waits 5 months. What she did was stop paying her rent and got evicted from her flat giving her 2 months to leave. Housing put her on the emergency list and got her a house. So because im a good tenant/ person I have to carry on waiting when she has be awarded for her bad deeds.
Everytime you move you have to start the list again. My rent is due to go up again more then I can afford which means I will have to move and start all again. Ive already done this 3 times in all ive been waiting 6 years for a place.
I am very thankful we have this system but it does need looking at.
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If we do have such a huge problem with lack of houses why are some empty for many months ,
it would be so much faster if they were updated then someone moved in. Most folks who do move from their house are made to leave it in good order.
Only those homes who need upgrading should be empty for longer.
But where i am they are empty for nearly a year!
the rents they can have from this would go a long way in helping the revenue input.
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Zab
Not true the figures have not been massaged in any way the stats quoted in the States Strategic Monitoring Report and the Guernsey Press cover everyone who has applied for social housing, including those who have not yet waited their six months.
Kat
We turn around the empty properties as quickly as we can those that have been empty longest have usually been occupied for many years and we take the opportunity to completely refurbish these homes, this will include new roofs, replacing old boilers with modern central heating units, rewiring, insulation, internal alterations and extensions where gardens allow for bigger living space, the replacement of doors and windows, kitchens and bathrooms, improving parking facilities, upgrading and replacing external drainage systems and a massive house painting programme. All this does take time and we have a small number of contractors willing to work for the rates we are prepared to pay, we have to keep the prices keen as we have a finite budget and this can sometimes mean delay. We also manage to turn around empty properties very quickly by offering decorating vouchers to tenants if that is all the property really needs.
Waiting
Housing gives preference to those in most need, the points system is used universally by Housing departments and Housing associations all over Europe. If people are deemed to be adequately housed, then they will wait longer than those who have more points for accommodation that is deemed inadequate. Points are awarded on the issue of disposable income after rent is paid and we accept that private sector rents are not cheap, which is one reason why this latest survey on money needed for acceptable living standards has identified those on low incomes who need further help regardless of where they live. In our view people should not always have to move across into States owned social housing, they should recieve finacial help so they can live in the private rental sector if they so choose.
Deputy Dave Jones
Housing minister
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Thank you for your reply Dave ,but I see one house that has been ready for at least 3 weeks still empty.are they trying to find tenants for this house
It has been upgraded and the garden is all ready as well ,so why the delay some family could be in it by now!
the sooner these houses are occupied the less chance they have of getting vandalised by some gangs of bored yobs .
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I know alot of people who are living in 2/3 bedroom house’s on different estate’s. their children have grown up and moved on..and they still live in these house’s that could go to a family. move them into smaller place’s.
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Yes there are but there is no where to put them
I am waiting for a smaller place been on the list for 6 years .There were ones that would have suited us but not enough were built , I would love to move to smaller place .
Until they build smaller places for us elderly folks we will stay in our big houses
What you must remember is many were rehoused from the huge block of flats in Charotterrie .they need to replace this amount of units .
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@ Dave Jones
Thats more honest than previous Authorities, I don’t have a personal beef with you, the House as a whole is to blame for the lamentable state of affairs in this Island, but if you take a Ministers job the buck stops with you! The waiting list grows ever longer and the States wring their hands more and more and do NOTHING by the time it is sorted out children have grown to adulthood and are off the list (Your own survey figures have shown how untenable the situation is for even modest earners).
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Why has the number of applicants doubled since 2007? Has Guernsey lost that many jobs? What is the explanation? Has there been a change in the application procedure?
Agree with others that some higher rise apartment style development (three/four levels) should be proposed with studio/one or two bed apartments for elderly residents, persons with one child and singletons. Elderly and persons with a disability should be given priority for ground floor apartments.
Another option (although not ideal) may be to create an agreement with the UK for emergency overflow accommodation? Might work in some situations.
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We are building through the GHA smaller units of accommodation as fast as we can in order that we can address the under occupation issues. We still have too many couples in family houses and we are trying to make sure that those who are eligible have somewhere to move in to better suited to their housing needs, unfortunately it cannot be achieved over night and we have made a lot of progress in the last 8-10 years but still a lot more needs to be done. The waiting lists have grown because we have had to accommodate hundreds of tenants in other properties whilst we demolish and rebuild new housing, that has inevitably led to stagnation in our ability to tackle the issue of all those waiting to be housed in social housing we have also made some progress to help first time buyers with the partial ownership scheme which is very popular and is oversubscribed with the numbers waiting to take up this option growing all the time. Of course it is difficult to buy your own home and to be fair, I have to ask anyone who has done it, when has it ever been easy? Interest rates have never been lower than they are at present and have remained so over a sustained period and many Guernsey people of the last generation can remember vividly when interest rates were above 17% and it was a real struggle for them to get a foot on the housing ladder or afford their mortgages as these rates climbed and Guernsey at that time moved into recession. I talk to people regularly who have managed to save a deposit for a home and it has taken them a long time to do so, they have given up everything, nights out, holidays, their cars and many have taken more than one job to make it happen but as I said it has never been easy. Houses are expensive in Guernsey and as I have said before that is true of any jurisdiction where there is fairly full employment and an environment where people want to live. I will continue to do what I can to improve the situation for those on low and fixed incomes and I fully admit we have a long way to go before we can be sure that there is enough affordable housing for everyone which is why I support housing subsidies for those in the private rental sector.
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rachel
I believe we have created a society whereby a growing number of people for what ever reason do not work. Our government actively “stokes the fire ” with policies which keep people on benefits because it is not worth them working. I would like Deputy Jones to tell us all what proportion of states house tennants do not work (he can leave out retired people)compared say to 25 years ago. Until we as a society make it worth while for people to work instead of claiming benefit the demand for social housing will only rise.
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Loads people swap house’s. Just knowing who need’s/willing to.
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