Policy aims to lure homeowners to downsize

Deputy Sam Mézec said the policy aims to help anyone on the open market who wants to downsize

Plans to help people who want to move into smaller properties have been published by Jersey’s housing minister.

Deputy Sam Mézec said the Right Sizing policy aims to help anyone on the open market who wants to downsize but there would be a particular focus on older people.

Developers planning to build homes on rezoned land would be encouraged to make sure some of the housing is suitable for those who want to move into a smaller property but stay in their parish.

The Jersey census in 2021 found one in four households were under-occupied.

Deputy Sam Mézec said the policy was designed to help older and younger islanders

Mr Mézec said the policy would also create an obligation for social housing providers to help under-occupying tenants move into smaller homes that suit their needs but do not put additional strain on their finances.

He said the policy was designed to help younger and older islanders.

"We have a lot of people in Jersey who desperately need a bigger home because their families are growing," he said.

"We also have lots of people who, as they get older, their children grow up and leave the home, but they haven't quite found somewhere that is acceptable to them.

"Making it easier for swaps to happen would lead to more islanders living in the home they want to be living in."

Former housing minister Deputy David Warr was concerned about how the policy would work in social housing

Mr Mézec said he wanted providers to make it as attractive as possible for tenants who are under-occupying to move into a smaller flat.

However, the policy does not include details of what incentives might be offered to people in social housing to downsize.

Deputy David Warr, former housing minister, said he was supportive of the policy but he was concerned about how it would work in social housing.

He said: "Effectively you could be saying to someone: 'you no longer need this three-bedroom home, we need it for somebody else, we are going to move you into somewhere smaller, but you will pay the same rent'.

"I think that would upset quite a few people."

Michael Van Neste says tenants should pay if they insist on living in a house too big for their needs

Michael Van Neste, former chairman of the Jersey Homes Trust, agreed there could be problems in a social housing setting.

He said "financial incentives and disincentives" could help encourage some social housing tenants to downsize.

He added: "If you have someone occupying a two- or three-bedroom house and they are living there on their own, I think they should be paying the market rate for that property, not assisted but paying the rent out of their pocket.

"If they insist on staying in a house that's too big for their needs they should pay for it."

Constable Kevin Lewis said his parish helped social housing tenants to downsize

Kevin Lewis, Constable of St Saviour, said his parish had successfully helped social housing tenants downsize by offering modest rents for people to move into a site with 32 bungalows.

"We are quite lucky here with this establishment because people wanted to downsize and remain with their friends and neighbours, they don’t need a large three, four-bedroom house anymore," he said.

Mr Mézec said he did not want to be the housing minister who forced anyone out of the home they are living in.

"This policy is about incentives and support, so where people think this is the right option, it's up to us to make that happen for them," he said.