IoD’s May Breakfast tackles Guernsey’s housing challenge 

The event drew a diverse audience, including Deputies, representatives from the Guernsey International Business Association (GIBA), developers, and business leaders from various sectors. The gathering underscored the complicated nature of the island’s housing crisis, reflecting insights from the IoD’s recent member survey, which revealed that two-thirds of respondents view housing as a critical concern.

The session began with a film from Arc4, a consultancy that has contributed to several housing sector reports for the States of Guernsey. This set the scene by highlighting the island’s changing population demographics, the mismatch between housing supply and demand, and the ageing housing stock.

Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez, President of Environment & Infrastructure, gave an overview of the Guernsey Housing Plan, explaining how the States of Guernsey is prioritising strategies and actions that will, among other outcomes, stimulate private market housing development to deliver the homes our island and our economy needs.

Deputy de Sausmarez also noted that parking requirements can limit housing development and emphasised the need to look at alternatives such as shared car schemes and improved cycle infrastructure.

A panel discussion followed, addressing the complexities of the private housing market. The panellists (Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez, Victoria Oliver and Charles McHugh   explored themes such as delivery vehicles, incentives and penalties for landlords, and practical matters like parking.

Key points from the discussion included:

• The panel debated how government might intervene in the private housing market with incentives and penalties to stimulate housing development and improve rental market quality.
• Emphasis was placed on right-sizing housing for older residents and ensuring the availability of good quality, affordable housing. There was a call to improve the quality of rental housing and support older people to live well at home, in appropriate dwellings to reduce the need for specialised accommodation.

The panel stressed the need for more evidence to understand the scale of housing challenges, including the issue of homelessness and the quality of accommodations in the private rental sector. Equally, defining key worker housing needs and identifying market niches were seen as essential steps for future planning.

Several critical statistics and insights were shared during the event:

• Housing Pipeline: Despite having 619 planning permissions, only 60% of these lead to actual development. There is a significant gap between planning permissions granted and homes built.
• Construction Challenges: Building a house can take 2-5 years, and there is a need for a pipeline of 300 houses per year to meet demand.
• Housing Stock: Approximately 25% of households are in the private rental sector, often in substandard conditions. There was discussion about introducing minimum standards and rent stabilisation mechanisms, subject to wide consultation.

Glen Tonks (pictured) , IoD Guernsey Chair, said: “This session really highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts and public consultation to address the housing crisis. As the island moves forward, the importance of ensuring that all voices are heard and considered in the decision-making process is vital.

“Those points aside, it was clear from our panellists and attendees that these challenges need to be solved at pace to ensure the island’s future economic and social welfare.”