Homes That Work
These articles explore housing as more than a technical problem to be managed. They start from the belief that housing is a foundation of family life, opportunity, and belonging – and that when it fails, the consequences ripple outward into health, education, workforce stability, and community cohesion.
Across this series articles, I return to a small set of values: fairness between generations, responsibility in the use of public resources, and honesty about trade-offs. I’m sceptical of simple answers to complex problems, and wary of debates that frame housing as a contest between groups rather than a shared challenge that demands shared solutions.
Taken together, these pieces reflect a concern that too much risk has been pushed onto younger islanders, and that decisions made in isolation – about planning, infrastructure, finance, or tenure – have weakened the system as a whole. They argue for greater coherence, balance between public and private provision, and a renewed focus on outcomes rather than ideology.
The aim is not to prescribe a single solution, but to set out a way of thinking about housing that is grounded in evidence, lived experience, and long-term responsibility.
