'Significant increase' in affordable housing inquiries in Guernsey

Citizens Advice said it could not "magic up" more houses

There has been a "significant increase" in the number of affordable housing inquiries, Citizens Advice said.

In total, 136 islanders spoke to the Guernsey charity for housing support in 2023, a rise of almost 75% from 2022.

Citizen's Advice said the numbers were just "a proportion of the actual scale" of the issue.

Interim CEO Annie Ashmead, said addressing the lack of affordable housing must happen "sooner rather than later".

Mrs Ashmead said: "We know it's an increasing problem in Guernsey, in the first quarter of last year we saw about 50% of the number of the total of the year before.

"We thought at this rate its going to be double what it was in the previous year and it almost was."

The reasons people approached the charity included rent increases, landlords selling properties and loss of employment.

Mrs Ashmead said: "There just isn't the housing stock available for these people to find somewhere they can afford to live."

'Magic up houses'

The charity can support individuals by checking eligibility for social housing and benefits and signpost them to other organisations that might be able to help.

"Unfortunately we cant magic up houses, that's something we cant do," said Mrs Ashmead.

"Until there are more properties available then we're not necessarily going to be able to help everybody.

"I know the Guernsey housing plan has a variety of different solutions in the pipeline."

The Guernsey Housing Plan was created by government to prioritise the islands housing pressures.

Calls to scrap a government planning policy which requires a portion of new developments to be affordable housing, will be debated in March.