Locals allowed to live in temporary homes

A temporary housing village was created opposite the airport in 2012

Proposals to allow locals to live in new temporary accommodation have been approved in principle by Guernsey's States.

The scheme from Deputies Aidan Matthews and Peter Ferbrache received 33 votes.

Guernsey's Policy and Resources (P&R) Committee had proposed building new temporary accommodation for visiting construction staff and keyworkers.

Matthews said it would be unacceptable for the States to provide housing for visiting staff, without helping locals.

The proposal was originally put forward by Deputy Andy Taylor, but he was unable to take it to the States Assembly due to being absent for the birth of his daughter.

During a debate on the proposals some deputies said they were concerned about the idea of temporary housing.

Deputy Sue Aldwell said she was worried about the sites becoming "ghettos that stay put".

Employment and social security president Peter Roffey expressed concern that the States could be creating a problem if local families moved in but were then left with nowhere to go once the planning permission had run out.

Victoria Oliver, president of the development and planning authority, agreed it could create more problems in the long term.

She said: "We need to be really careful about what kind of accommodation we build".

P&R supported the amendment to the 2025 budget.

Vice-president of P&R Heidi Soulsby said: "We have a housing crisis and any opportunity to make things better we should be grabbing."

Tax breaks

A proposal to give further tax breaks to landlords has also been approved in principle by deputies.

The scheme from Deputies Sam Haskins and David Mahoney received 27 votes, with 11 States members voting against it.

It will exempt from income tax, any rental payments made to landlords for up to a maximum of £10,000 per room by lodgers, under a certain criteria.

That criteria includes that the room must be in the taxpayer’s principal private residence.

Deputies will vote on the final proposals in the 2025 budget later this week.