blog.gov.je
Access to affordable, suitable housing remains one of the most pressing challenges facing our Island.
Too many Islanders – particularly young people and families – are struggling to find homes that meet their needs and are within reach financially. High property prices, limited supply, and a mismatch between what’s available and what’s needed has placed growing pressure on individuals, families, and our essential workforce.
It’s an issue that demands focused and sustained action from Government. That’s why housing is at the heart of the new Investing in Jersey programme, which is designed to be a long-term, coordinated strategy for renewing Jersey’s infrastructure and public assets.
This commits to delivering the homes Islanders want and need. Not just more housing, but the right type of housing that will positively support our changing population. It means family homes, homes for key workers, homes to buy and to rent, and options that support Islanders as they age. These new homes are to be met with investment into the Island’s infrastructure, ensuring that they can be delivered, and that sustainable communities can be created.
Building more family-sized homes
Recent developments have focused heavily on small one- and two-bedroom apartments. These are an important part of our housing stock in Jersey, but they do not meet the full range of housing that Islanders want and need. This is especially true for younger Islanders faced with making the difficult choice as to whether or not they can afford to remain on the Island to start a family.
Jersey is a beautiful, safe place to raise a family, and we absolutely need the housing options that will support this.
Working with Andium Homes, the Jersey Development Company and private partners, the Government is prioritising the delivery of more two-, three- and four-bedroom homes, with a focus on good design, energy efficiency and affordability.
Supporting key workers
Housing is becoming a barrier to recruitment and retention in vital sectors including health, education, hospitality and emergency services. To address this, Ministers have committed to improve how we provide key worker housing, whilst providing more flexibility to support those working in key areas of our economy.
The availability of safe, affordable homes that meet the needs of short-term workers and those who will settle in the Island for longer periods are crucial in order to make Jersey an attractive place to do business.
Enabling more Islanders to buy a home
Many Islanders aspire to own their own home but have been priced out of the market. An expansion to the Andium Homebuy and First Step schemes to offer up to 40% shared equity for eligible first-time buyers will help Islanders to bridge the gap in their ability to buy a home in Jersey. This is to be met with updated policies that will make it easier for young families to move into larger homes as their needs change.
Housing for older Islanders
As our population ages, more options need to be available for those looking to downsize or access supported living. This requires working with partners to create modern, well-located retirement homes and to increase the supply of sheltered and accessible housing. Supporting people to move home when they want to in older age can not only mean their new home is suitably sized for their needs, but can reduce utility bills and maintenance costs, whilst making it easier to receive care and support at home when it’s needed.
Supporting people in this transition also means that larger homes become available for the next generation of families in Jersey, reducing pressure to re-zone more land in the countryside.
Building sustainably
Supporting the construction sector in building efficiently and sustainably is essential not only for housing delivery, but also to ensure that as an island, we are providing energy efficient housing whilst achieving our carbon neutral goals. It’s important that the sector is supported to become a more productive economy, through a stable and sustained capital programme and by enabling faster build-times and reduced pressure on the workforce. Open and constructive dialogue with the sector will help to build confidence and overcome barriers to delivery.
The creation of a Capital Investment Fund and the Investing in Jersey strategy is not, however, a silver bullet that will address all the housing and delivery challenges the Island is facing. But it is a big leap forward.
The adequacy of our housing and infrastructure is fundamental to Jersey’s future, affecting our economy, our workforce, our birth rate, and our sense of community. It’s time to focus our collective efforts on delivery; this isn’t about politics, it’s recognition that we are at a crossroads as an Island. The system – both within Government and outside of it – needs to work together and move Jersey in a sustainable and prosperous direction. The stepping stones for us to invest in Jersey have been laid.
Read more about the full strategy: Investing In Jersey: 2026 to 2050
Coming next: How we’re investing in Jersey’s roads, water infrastructure and coastal resilience.