A government commitment to support the provision of up to 1,000 affordable homes over the next ten years is to be considered at Tynwald next week.
The programme to build, provide or facilitate affordable homes would start in April 2025.
This is subject to Tynwald approval if Members vote to receive the Housing and Communities Board Policy Response to the Island’s first Objective Assessment of Housing Need (OAHN).
Affordable Housing
Provision of the homes would be based on ongoing monitoring of housing needs and will depend on funding, development sites, and construction resources.
The Chair of the Housing and Communities Board, David Ashford MHK, said: “The Board’s Policy Response recognises that while much needs to be done from a policy perspective, residents want to see an increase in the availability of affordable and general housing.
“There is no quick fix to ease the pressure on the need for suitable housing, but the Board aims to improve conditions significantly by the end of the current administration, enabling the government to deliver housing programmes that improve people’s lives.
“The Board continues to explore important aspects of housing provision, including eliminating homelessness, reviewing current shared equity schemes for first time buyers, and how to deal with the number of empty properties across the Island.
“This policy response is a dynamic document that takes into account the Board’s priorities, related objectives in the Island Plan and Economic Strategy, recommendations from the Tynwald Select Committee on Poverty, and input from other government areas and Tynwald during the past two years.”
Assessment of Need
The OAHN was commissioned by the Board to analyse and report on the Island’s current and future housing needs.
The objectives of the housing policy framework are to ensure safe, affordable and accessible housing for all Island residents. Policy proposals also include:
- Potential introduction of an independent Housing Association in April 2025. This would function as landlord for the Department of Infrastructure. Later the organisation could develop a structure to increase housing supply and development, and provide specialist services to prevent homelessness and to support Health and Social Care improvement plans.
- A proposed programme to re-use of 48 empty public sector properties on the Island.
- A commitment with a financial plan to confirm over the next 12 months at least two government sites, or one large multi-use site, for supported living accommodation.
Short-term goals for government-supported housing include fixing ageing public sector housing that can’t be used because of the costs for vital repairs.
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