An MHK has called for government to “think outside the box” to deliver more housing for islanders.
Julie Edge was speaking as members debated a call for a detailed report on the application of the government’s affordable housing strategies and policies.
The motion, brought by Chris Thomas, sought a report by January 2026 to clarify the government’s approach.
Ms Edge urged a return to more innovative, historical solutions, saying if more people can buy homes, developers will look to build more and it will help young people come back to the island.
“We’ve got to think outside the box, we can do things differently. We are an island, we don’t have to follow all these schemes in the UK,” she said, recalling how government-backed mortgages in the 1980s helped families, including her own, secure homes.
Hinder
The motion was opposed by Infrastructure Minister Dr Michelle Haywood, who argued it would hinder progress.
She proposed an amendment to acknowledge ongoing work instead, telling members: “I am unwilling to stop progress on delivering change.”
“I would like to ask this court’s permission to get on with the job in a way that will make meaningful differences.”
The debate revealed concerns about housing delivery with Rob Callister challenging the government’s core population projections, which underpin its housing targets.
“I believe the [Isle of Man’s] population will be closer to 90,000 to 92,000 by 2037,” he said, arguing that overestimation leads to flawed strategies.
Pressures
Jason Moorhouse also highlighted the acute pressure in the rental market, sharing an anecdote from a viewing where he “counted seven parties seeking the property within 15 minutes”.
Lawrie Hooper, who also opposed the need for a report, pinpointed a biggest issue, a lack of house building.
“The fundamental problem here is, for the last 10 years or so, government hasn’t really built any houses,” he said, urging a focus on action.
“The longer we spend talking about thinking about building houses, the less time we’re actually spending building houses.”
Shifts
In his closing remarks, Mr Thomas argued that significant policy shifts were occurring without Tynwald’s approval.
He lamented the government’s refusal to provide a report, calling it “absolutely ridiculous that we can’t have a simple statement of the current policies and strategies”.
Following the debate, Dr Haywood’s amendment was successful, meaning the government will not be required to produce the overarching report .