Debate over creation of housing committee delayed

A group of seven deputies have proposed the creation of a Committee for Housing

A debate on the creation of a committee for housing has been delayed by the States of Guernsey.

It is now due to now take place after the budget for 2025 has been decided in November, with the debate scheduled for December.

The Committee for Policy and Resources proposed the delay and its plans were approved by 34 votes to one, with only Deputy Andy Taylor voting against it.

A group of seven deputies had proposed the creation of the new committee in an effort to tackle the island's housing crisis.

Leading the proposal is Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller who said only a "fraction" of the houses needed were delivered in recent years and the creation of a new committee would help speed things up.

The States strategic housing indicator shows the island needs about 300 new homes built each year moving forward.

Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez, President of the Committee for the Environment and Infrastructure urged deputies to vote against the creation of a new committee.

She said the resources needed to create a new committee would be better spent on the Guernsey Housing Plan, which is under her committee's control.

Her request for £430,000 to hire six new civil servants to work on the plan has been criticised by some deputies.

Guernsey last had a dedicated political body for housing - the Housing Department - in 2016 when the number of departments was reduced.