Changes to social housing and help-to-buy schemes

Changes to the criteria of the housing schemes will allow for greater access for the public

Changes have been made to the criteria needed in Jersey to access social rented properties and gain access to help-to-buy schemes.

Housing Minister Sam Mezec announced the changes to the Assisted Purchase Pathway and social housing eligibility in reports to the States on Monday.

The age people could access social rented housing had been reduced to 25 from 30, while the minister now had discretion to intervene to help potential home-buyers if their income was too high to qualify for the Assisted Purchase Pathway, he said.

In the reports, Deputy Mezec said the changes represented how the government supported home ownership and would ensure more people had access to social housing.

"The new criteria reduces the age for social rented housing to meet the needs of eligible households with low income", the report stated.

"This is consistent with the reduction in the age limit set out in the roadmap for improving access to social housing published by the previous minister for housing and communities in July 2023, and has been made possible by the ongoing supply of new social rented homes."

The report added: "The revisions to the eligibility criteria will ensure that applicants are assessed and prioritised by their housing need and ensure that access to social rented housing is transparent and fair."

Applications are considered against the thresholds to determine whether people require assistance to purchase a home suitable for their needs.

Changes to the eligibility of the Assisted Purchase Pathway are reviewed annually, which the report said was to reflect the housing needs of islanders.

Assisted home ownership schemes support households who cannot afford to purchase a home suitable for their needs in the open market, but who are able to do so with some form of assistance.

'Exceptional circumstances'

The criteria introduces a new policy which enables the minister to exercise discretion where an applicant has a household income above the income threshold, but they are unable to access sufficient mortgage borrowing due to their age.

It also "clarifies the maximum size of property that applicants are eligible to purchase based on their household size", according to the report.

"The criteria sets out that an applicant is able to purchase a property with one additional bedroom above their current household need, with the ability to exercise discretion in exceptional circumstances that warrant a larger property," it said.