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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HOUSING BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 11th MARCH 2008
Question
"(i) I n response to a question on 26th February 2008 regarding demand for 3-bed social rental homes, the
Minister stated that "the demand can be met" by a total of 29 homes on 2 sites. Will he now explain to members how 29 homes can be deemed sufficient to meet the needs of 91 families in need of 3-bed accommodation detailed in R.17/2008, States Rental Waiting List', issued on 3rd March 2008?
Answer
The Waiting and Transfer lists are very fluid lists and indeed many of the families included in these figures will already have been re-housed and replaced by new applicants.
The average waiting time for applicants requiring three bedroom homes during 2007 was, for Waiting List applicants, less than three months.
In respect of the internal Transfer List, a number of those currently waiting to be re-housed are themselves already occupying three bedroom homes which, for one reason or another, are not deemed adequate for their needs. Other figures from the same period as above indicate 19 families under occupying three bedroom homes waiting to be moved to two bedroom properties, 9 couples also under occupying three bedroom homes that need to move to one bedroom accommodation and 93 couples living in two bedroom homes waiting to move to one bedroom units.
I remain confident that the issue in respect of demand for larger homes is the need for additional life long homes which will give the Department the ability to recycle the existing stock. The Waiting List and waiting time for an adequate home are at historically low levels.
Question
(ii) W ill he also explain to members why the 2007 figure given in Table 21 Projections of States rental waiting list to 2009' contained in R.94, Planning for Homes 2006 - A Review of Current Information on Residential Land Availability', has more than doubled to 139 from 53 given in the equivalent Planning for Homes document of 2005?"
Answer
The Planning for Homes documents are of course produced by the Planning Department, albeit with input from the Housing Department. The reports are very clear in saying that such projections of future need are to be treated with some caution. The Planning for Homes document 2006 did not of course have the benefit of a Housing Needs Survey. Planning for Homes 2008, will be revised in 2008 and will of course have data from a Housing Needs Survey that is informed by an excellent response rate.
Accurate figures showing the movement on the Waiting List are presented in R.17/2008, which shows the actual numbers of people on the list at the beginning of each year over the last five years.