House costs drives young islander away

The number of property transactions in Guernsey has dropped to record low

A young woman who moved to the UK because she could not afford to rent or buy a home in Guernsey has urged the authorities to provide more support for islanders in a similar situation.

Jennica Edge said she was working three jobs and paying £1,300 a month for a one-bedroom apartment in Guernsey before she relocated to the West Midlands.

She now rents a two-bedroom house with a garden and parking for £750 a month and pays less overall including bills.

The 25-year-old said she would like to move back to the island some day, but only if the cost of living was more reasonable.

"It’s such a nice place for children," she said. "It’s so friendly and lovely, I absolutely love it.

"But the only way I could move back is if the cost of housing and general living wasn’t as much."

'Difficult to recruit'

Her story reflects the challenges faced by many islanders in Guernsey, where the average price of a property is more than £640,000.

The latest statistics show that the number of transactions in the third quarter of this year was the lowest since records began in 1999.

Richard Hemans, of the Institute of Directors Guernsey, said it indicated that the market was too expensive for most buyers and something had to give.

He called for more action from the government to increase the supply and diversity of housing in the island.

"Employers are finding it very, very difficult to recruit and indeed retain workers," he said.

"We have people leaving the island, key workers are not coming here because they can't afford to and then we have to bring people in from overseas to do the work.

"The key for this is building... more affordable housing for people. It's obviously not a very quick or easy fix but that's the only way that we're going to be able to enable people to to live on the island."

The States of Guernsey has said it would meet the Confederation of Guernsey Industry (CGI) to discuss issues with population law.

It comes as the CGI said barriers still restricted the ability to recruit staff from anywhere in the world.