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WQ.302/2025
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HOUSING
BY DEPUTY H.L. JEUNE OF ST. JOHN, ST. LAWRENCE AND TRINITY QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 30th JUNE 2025
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 7th JULY 2025
Question
"Will the Minister advise –
- what he characterises as insecure housing;
- how insecure housing data is captured;
- what data has been collected on insecure housing since the publication of the Jersey Homelessness Strategy; and
- what plans, if any, there are to develop more detailed data collection in this area?"
Answer
- I characterise insecure housing' as a form of homelessness that is experienced by people who are at risk of housing exclusion as a result of living situations such as an insecure tenancy, the threat of eviction, or the threat of violence, as well as people living temporarily with friends or family in accommodation that is not their permanent residence (referred to as "sofa-surfing"). These living situations are consistent with the definition of insecure housing' – as one of the four categories of homelessness – set out in the Homelessness definition framework' (October 2022). [1]
- As much data on insecure housing as is currently possible to be captured is provided by homelessness accommodation and service providers in accordance with the definition set out in paragraph (a). The providers are FREEDA, the Jersey Association of Youth and Friendship (JAYF), Sanctuary Trust, and the Shelter Trust, and the Housing Advice Service within government. This is captured alongside data on the other three categories of homelessness and other relevant information relating to homelessness in Jersey.
- Data on insecure housing is collected, anonymised and published quarterly (since the second quarter of 2024) in the Homelessness in Jersey Report.' As an example, the latest report for the fourth quarter of 2024 [2]identified the following numbers of individuals living in insecure housing:
Service Provider | Reported insecure housing' homelessness |
Housing Advice Service | 9 |
Homelessness accommodation providers | 22 |
It is important to note that the report describes the circumstances that a person is experiencing over the quarter period. Many individuals would, therefore, be accommodated in temporary shelter accommodation during the quarter, and their living situation captured in the houseless' category under the homelessness definition.
The report also provides information on an individual's pre-service living situation, providing an insight as to their circumstances before coming into contact with homelessness accommodation and service providers. The fourth quarter report for 2024 shows the most common pre-service living situation was living with family or friends,' which would reflect an insecure housing situation.
- Action 2 of the Jersey Homelessness Strategy' (November 2020) [3]is to evidence the scale and nature of homelessness, and, by working collaboratively with homelessness accommodation and service providers, I have achieved this action through the collection and publication of a regular standardised dataset on homelessness.
I am working closely with homelessness accommodation and service providers through the Homelessness Cluster to ensure that the data informs service provision and policy development. This provides the opportunity to refine and strengthen our data collection and reporting process over time.
Alongside the collection and publication of data on homelessness, I believe that we must continue to develop homelessness services through the provision of appropriate referral pathways, multi- agency support, and ongoing outreach and communication through the Housing Advice Service. This will ensure that people who are homeless, or who are threatened with homelessness, are able to seek the support they need to address their housing situation. This, in turn, will help to ensure that our data provides a comprehensive picture of the level and nature of homelessness in Jersey.
[1] Minister for Housing's Homeless Definition Framework