Independence, Fairness, and the Future of a Small Island First published in the Jersey Evening Post 2026-02-19 Drawing the threads together Over the past few weeks, I have been exploring Jersey’s housing challenge from several angles: the growing concentration of risk on younger Islanders; the role of key-worker accommodation in easing pressure at the margins; the absence of a realistic…
When ownership becomes all-or-nothing First published in the Jersey Evening Post 2026-02-12 Longer-term security through alternative tenure Even if Jersey succeeds in easing pressure at the margins and restoring a first step into independent living, a harder question remains: what comes next? For many younger households, the jump from renting to full market ownership now requires levels of leverage that…
Housing Series 3 – Shared housing and the gradual transition to independence First published in the Jersey Evening Post 2026-02-04 A narrowing route to adulthood For many young Islanders, the first step out of the family home has become increasingly difficult. Rising rents, limited choice, and the structure of the private rental market mean that even those in steady work…
Housing Series 2 – Finding Room: Reducing pressure by housing our essential workforce First published in the Jersey Evening Post 2026-01-29 Why workforce housing now matters Across the Island, people whose work keeps daily life functioning – teachers, nurses, carers, social workers, emergency responders – are finding it harder to secure stable, affordable accommodation. Housing costs are no longer simply…
First published in the Jersey Evening Post 2026-01-22 Risk, generational fairness, and the future of a small island When housing stops being a bridge Across many jurisdictions, housing has become the line along which generational confidence either holds or frays. Not through a single decision, or the intentions of any one group, but through the accumulation of choices made under…
Housing too dear, politics too brittle, finances stretched, yet a community still rich in competence and care First published in the Jersey Evening Post 2026-01-02 In the late 1990s, Jersey still believed in its own good fortune. Finance was booming, young families could still buy a home, and you could get a meal for a tenner during Tennerfest. It was…
Fairness and the Housing Puzzle: Markets, Tenants, and Responsibility First published in the Jersey Evening Post 2025-10-24 When we read analyses of Jersey’s property market, we often turn to familiar explanations: limited land, foreign buyers, or speculative developers. In their recent article in this newspaper, Peter Lucas and Dr Michael J Oliver invite us to look differently. They argue that…
When the Market Doesn’t Build: Reflecting on Housing Policy During a Time of Change First published in the Jersey Evening Post 2025-09-20 In a recent Scrutiny hearing and follow-up media coverage, Deputies Hilary Jeune and Steve Luce offered an assessment of Jersey’s housing provision that, at first glance, seems both reasonable and reassuring. With population growth slowing and substantial…
What does it mean for Jersey when its beans can no longer afford to stay on the Island? First published in the Jersey Evening Post 2025-06-25 Jersey is a place where roots matter. To be “born and bred” on the Island carries a meaning that extends far beyond place of birth. Islanders born here are affectionately known as “beans” –…