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1240/5(7909)
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HOUSING BY DEPUTY J.H. YOUNG OF ST. BRELADE
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 22nd OCTOBER 2013
Question
Will the Minister provide the Assembly with details of the present number and location of States rental sheltered homes, retirement, lifetime or appropriate housing for over 55s in the Island, together with the number of persons in the housing gateway presently waiting for this accommodation to become available and his forecast of the housing needs of this group of over 55's for the next ten years?
Answer
Table showing rental stock (sheltered homes, retirement, lifetime and appropriate housing for over 55s in the Island) administered by the Housing Department:
(for definitions of the different types of housing see end of the answer)
Housing Type | Number of Units | Location (A full list of properties managed by the Housing Department, which gives location & type, is available on the States website) |
Sheltered Homes | 0 | The Housing Department does not have any social housing where a warden or manager is provided. |
Retirement Homes | Studios: 278 Bungalows: 55 One bed flats: 1672 One bed houses: 26 | Given the present edibility criteria for social housing, any studio or one bedroom unit within the stock could be offered to a person of retirement age. |
Lifelong Homes | 0 | The majority of the sites rezoned in P.75/2008 have been developed by Parishes and the homes either retained for Parish use or transferred to Housing Trusts. The Housing Department is presently working with the developer of the Langtry Gardens site in St Saviour which on completion in 2015 will provide 48 lifelong homes apartments for the new Housing Company and 32 lifelong bungalows for the Parish of St Saviour. |
The Strategic Housing Unit has recently been established to look at Island wide housing strategies. As part of this work the longer term needs of all sectors of the housing market will be assessed, working with the Statistics Unit, other Departments, and other agencies, including the Parishes, to gain a more comprehensive picture of housing supply and demand by property type and age.
In the meantime, however, the Housing Gateway statistics clearly show that additional requirements exist:
- As of September 2013, the Housing Gateway recorded a net requirement for 764 homes for social rented accommodation, of which 288 are from over 55 years olds from bands 1,2 and 6 (including persons who are under-occupying property, in medical need, over- crowd conditions, and under eviction, and with poor housing standards).
As to the available information on from the Statistics Unit, it clearly shows overall shortfalls in supply, and indicates a shortfall in the supply of homes for older persons (but does not extend to the 10 year analysis requested):
- The 2007 Housing Needs Assessment undertaken by the Statistics Unit showed that over the period 2008-12, a total five-year potential shortfall existed of up to 400 dwelling units for older persons' housing.
- The 2012 Housing Needs Assessment for the period 2013 - 2015 showed an overall potential shortfall of more than 400 units of social housing and of 260 qualified one bedroom units; and many of these units will be needed for older persons.
The next round of the Housing Needs Assessment will include a specific question on older persons housing to provide a more up-to-date assessment of the overall position in respect of older persons.
Definitions: For the purpose of answering this question, the following definitions have been used:
Sheltered Homes | Independent living where residents have their own bungalow or flat, where all residents are older people (usually over the age of 55yrs). Most sheltered housing schemes also have the benefit of their own "manager" or "warden" living on site or very close by, whose job is to manage the scheme and help arrange any services that residents need. Such schemes will also usually have some shared or communal facilities such as a lounge for residents to meet, a laundry, a guest flat and a garden. |
Retirement Homes | Retirement homes are similar in build to sheltered housing, but does not offer the on-site manager or warden facilities or the communal facilities. |
Lifelong Homes | The definition and criteria for lifelong homes was introduced in P.75/2008 through an amendment to the definition of Category A Housing as set out in the 2002 Island Plan which provided that "in order to enable the zoning of land to enable the provision of lifelong homes (for people over 55), to buy and for social rent, designed to accommodate both fit' and less able' people over the age of 55, in a socially supportive and stimulating environment which enables them to live independently for as long as possible in their own home. " Only 8 sites were specifically rezoned for this purpose, these are:- Fields 516, 516A, 517 and 518, St. Saviour , Field 274, St. Clement , Field 605, St. John , Field 561 and 562, St. Mary , Land north of Maison St. Brelade , St. Brelade , Field 148, Rue des Maltières, Grouville , Field 818, Part of Field 873 Trinity and Field 578, Trinity . |