Raluca Kovacs, a member of the ruling political party Reform Jersey, has consistently called out the threats. She thinks that the residents of social housing are being slugged a massive cost. Those renting in social housing are doing it particularly tough at the moment, with 53% undoubtedly suffering from “rental stress.” This means they are cost-burdened, spending 30% or more of their income on rent. Kovacs is asking the States to more closely investigate ways to lower the rental costs of accommodation within the public sector.
In her recent parliamentary bill, Kovacs stressed that government ministers must act quickly to tackle this escalating crisis. She explained that the British model of social housing rent is considerably more costly than in other parts of the UK. By way of illustration, social rent on the Isle of Man is almost three times less expensive than in Jersey.
Housing Minister Sam Mezec had expressed his enthusiastic support for Kovacs’ initiative. He acknowledged the pressing need to revisit the social housing rent system. He further made it clear that he wanted to work together on solutions.
“I think deputy Kovacs made a really good start with her proposition. She’s raising a really important topic that, I think, will affect the lives of lots of people.” – Sam Mezec
The latest figures from the Office of the chief statistician Jersey census 2021 reflect a strong demand of social housing. 5,826 households now rely on social housing rents. Stories from residents such as Mandy Bisson have raised awareness about the effect such a situation has had on their lives. As Bisson, who has battled health challenges and twice fought and survived cancer, continues to receive benefits to help support him. He now pays about £1,300 a month in rent. This is a huge increase compared to her current rent of £143 per week. Just eight years ago, that came to £542 for four weeks.
Bisson recalled the experience of living with rental stress as “heart-breaking” and “really, really depressing.” Together, they reiterated her disappointment about being failed by the system.
“It’s heart-breaking because, at the end of the day… I try and be positive but I know nothing is going to change. I feel really let down. It’s very depressing.” – Mandy Bisson
As Mezec emphasized, a complete re-examination of income support policy in conjunction with the housing rent policy is essential. He called attention to how social housing rents have risen to such an extent that they are no longer affordable for many tenants.
“I’ve specifically said that we also need to be looking at income support policies as part of this review. It’s definitely the case that our social housing rents are a lot more expensive than you’ll find in other places.” – Sam Mezec
Kovacs’ proposition would go a long way to easing the cost of living pressure on Jersey’s social housing tenants. The growing consensus among policymakers indicates that changes are necessary to ensure affordable living conditions for all residents.
