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BY EMAIL TO: scrutiny@gov.je
19 January 2022
Dear Senator Pallet
MIGRATION AND POPULATION REVIEW PANEL
REQUEST FOR VIEWS ON P.116/2021, THE COMMON POPULATION POLICY (THE "POLICY")
The Jersey Landlords' Association (the "JLA") would like to thank the Scrutiny Panel for their request for our views on the Policy.
The JLA is an organisation which represents the interests of residential landlords in Jersey. We now have over 200 members, which comprise landlords and letting agents responsible for the provision of over 3,900 residential units of accommodation (including private rented accommodation and lodging houses).
We have reviewed the Policy document and would make the following comments.
Whilst we are a little disappointed to have not been formally approached during the consultation stage, we agree that there appears to be a substantial shortfall in housing supply across all tenures of Jersey housing. Our belief is that this is the main driver for increasing house prices and rents.
We agree that future Councils of Ministers should include their policies on population in future Government Plans, since this is so central to decision making about Jersey's future.
We further agree that insufficient near-real time data about the size and make up of Jersey's population and housing stock appears to be available from the manifold sources available to Government and that it is essential that such data is collated and used to inform decision making at the earliest available opportunity. For this reason, we agree that it appears premature to set any specific population target.
We agree that a programme of managed house building (perhaps using modern methods of construction) appears to be a useful medium-term solution to Jersey's housing needs, although the planning process will need to be relaxed in order for such house building to have the desired effect in the short to medium term.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require further input. Thank you for the opportunity to communicate our and our members' view to you.
Yours sincerely
The Committee
Jersey Landlords' Association
PS We confirm that Deputy Rowland Huelin (a JLA committee member) has, for obvious reasons, taken no part in reviewing or discussing the Policy with the committee or drafting this response.