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There appears to be a growing disconnect between what the government is doing and the reality for many people in Guernsey, with debates expected on employing six additional civil servants or creating a new Housing Committee, while a charity offers shower and laundry facilities to homeless people.
There has undoubtedly been a rise in the number of homeless people in Guernsey, as well as those at risk of homelessness - with recent figures estimating more than a thousand people are either homeless or in insecure accommodation.
Who is to blame for this situation is a long game to play.
What is being done about it is a confusing game to play.
In trying to keep abreast of the latest political developments which will drive through any actual construction projects to provide physical homes for people, we've tried to condense the latest developments in this FOCUS on housing...
In a nutshell - some deputies want to create a new Housing Committee, saying that splitting responsibility for housing across three existing committees hasn't worked.
The President of Environment and Infrastructure - one of the three committees responsible for housing along with Employment and Social Security, and Policy and Resources - has said that instead she and others would like to recruit six additional civil servants, on a salary of around £70,000 each, to manage housing within E&I's remit.
Any debate on those two suggestions is unlikely to happen before 2025 at the earliest with both sides agreeing that it would be best to wait until after the budget for next year is agreed by the States.
Pictured (l-r): Deputies Sasha Kazantseva-Miller and Lindsay de Sausmarez.
The island's budget debate always happens in November and with the States' agendas already backing up with policy letters that need attention before the end of this term of government, it is unlikely that there'll be any discussion on the housing committee v housing officers suggestions before the new year.
In terms of costs - both suggestions rely on additional funding being available, hence the reliance on the 2025 budget.
Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller's idea of a new Housing Committee could cost the island £155,000 she says. Deputy Lindsay de Sausamarez's suggestion that they instead appoint six additional civil servants to work solely on housing within E&I would cost more than £400,000.
In setting out her planned argument against the creation of a new Housing Committee, Deputy de Sausmarez sought to outline what E&I has done, and is doing, to help house the island's population.
The States of Guernsey likes to work on policy letters and strategies with reports, reviews, and consultations ongoing on any number of topics - and there are a lot of those linked to housing currently.
E&I's amendment to the States proposals for a new Housing Committee was met with a list of areas which Deputy de Sausmarez and others say have seen progress - with further details expected to be released over the coming months.
These areas include:
Private Market Housing Development Review – removing barriers and introducing incentives and penalties to encourage more and faster completions of private market developments
Direct delivery mechanisms – including the potential for a States-owned delivery vehicle
Opportunities for Modern Methods of Construction in Guernsey
Review of the Partial Ownership Scheme
Legislation required to enact the Open Market Inscriptions Policy
Ordinances under the General Housing Law: Minimum standards and the overarching law, and Rights and obligations of landlords and tenants
Downsizing Review to facilitate and support the more efficient use of existing housing stock
Keyworker Housing Policy
Improving quality and energy efficiency in existing and future housing stock
The States Strategic Housing Indicator Update
While some people struggle to find a safe place to sleep, E&I published its first annual update report on the Guernsey Housing Plan.
It might make for interesting bedtime reading for some people with updates on what is being done - including details on the majority of the 28 workstreams either underway or completed.
The annual report includes updates on the Affordable Housing Development Programme, housing standards legislation and the Open Market inscriptions policy.
It also provides more detail on stimulating private market housing developments, investigating modern methods of construction, a long-term key worker housing policy and efforts to regulate the private rental market.
In publishing the annual progress report, Deputy de Sausmarez said: “When we initially launched the plan, we explained that there was no silver bullet to Guernsey’s housing pressures, but through this comprehensive plan, covering cross-committee work, we are seeing some early positive signs. However, there’s still a long way to go and we’re not resting on our laurels.
“A lot of work has been undertaken in the past year, and even more is planned for the next year, with a number of workstreams due to report in the next few months. Our efforts are very much focused on trying to alleviate Guernsey’s various housing pressures, and it’s good to see some early positive signs.”
To read the annual progress report on housing click HERE.
As part of its review of the Island Development Plan, the Development and Planning Authority issued a call for new housing sites to be suggested.
However, the DPA has since been overwhelmed with the number of comments received during its IDP review process and there will now be no further action on this until after next year's election at the earliest.
The DPA said it needs the additional time to go through the "significant and contrasting views raised".
Pictured: The latest update on the IDP review can be read HERE.
Explaining the situation during this morning's States meeting, the DPA President Deputy Victoria Oliver said: "My committee has worked very hard trying to complete this focused review this political term, but we're equally keen to listen so that we get it right and it will now spill into the next political term.
"It would be the newly constitution DPA, who would respond to the further representations after the general election, including the changes to the plans."
That new time frame has now been outlined in greater detail with the DPA planning to meet with key stakeholders and carrying out further analysis over the coming months before providing the independent planning inspector with its responses to the initial representations in January.
If there are any significant changes proposed to the plan the inspector has indicated that a further period of public consultation would be opened.
This could potentially include any changes to site allocations for housing - including any potential construction sites for new housing developments.
Volunteers and staff working in the third sector are often at the coal face in dealing with any social problems.
With regards the housing crisis this has never been more true.
A new charity - At Home in Guernsey - was launched earlier this year to help those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, but it remains in the early stages with no policies in place yet to help people.
Other charities are doing what they can too.
The Citizens Advice Bureau offers assistance on housing issues, and this week, the Guernsey Welfare Service has shared details about its shower and laundry facilities which are available in St Peter Port.
The charity says those services are available "free of charge" but a small donation is welcome.
As well as showers and washing machines it can also offer a hot meal, packed lunches, and sleeping bags along with a listening ear.
"Unfortunately, we don't have all of the answers and can't provide accommodation but we do know that what we do is appreciated by those who find themselves with nowhere to go," a spokesperson for the Welfare Service said.
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