Extra 10,000 homes needed to meet population goals

The report found net migration figures would need to increase to reach government goals

Almost 10,000 homes would need to be built by 2041 for the Manx government to accommodate its population and job growth targets, a report has suggested.

The housing needs assessment looked at a range of data to calculate how the aims of creating 5,000 new jobs by 2032 and increasing the population to 100,000 by 2037 could be met.

Published by the Housing and Communities Board, the review also found net migration would need to be around 1,000 people a year to reach the goals.

The board's chairman David Ashford MHK said the document provided "critical analysis" of the island's future housing requirements.

Carried out by Opinion Research Services, the Objective Assessment of Housing Need collates and analyses data from a range of sources including census statistics, numbers of social security claims, and existing housing figures.

It found that if population growth continued as it had been, with the difference between the number of people coming to live on the island and those leaving staying at 650 per year, the government would "fall well short" of their ambitions.

Using past trends, that timeline could see a further 9,600 people call the island home, with the need for an extra 6,400 homes.

'Start of the journey'

The review also found migration patterns would need to be looked at, as the 2023 Isle of Man Population report by Statistics Isle of Man stated that approximately 50% of new migrants leave the island within 10 years.

It said sufficient housing would have to be created so the needs of new workers were met, and providing "the sort of jobs that keep people on the island seems to be critical in achieving the government’s aims".

Mr Ashford said the assessment was the "start of the journey" and the board "must now take stock of its findings and take appropriate time to consider its implications".