Renters could get “quallies” sooner under new proposals

Friday 20 December 2024

The number of years of residency needed to occupy qualified accommodation in Jersey could be reduced in a bid to remove barriers to finding rental housing in the island.

Ministers are also considering expanding of the range of jobs that qualify for licensed status, according to a new report.

The plans were revealed in the Common Population Policy Annual Report 2024, which was published by the Government yesterday.

Pictured: Chief Minsiter Lyndon Farnham said that the report "highlights the need for Jersey to manage its population rules with flexibility".

The report showed that Jersey’s overall population has remained stable in the last five years – a notable difference from the high levels of population growth seen in the preceding five years.

The island has required inward migration to maintain its working age population, which has also remained stable over the last five years.

Data also shows that Jersey’s population is getting older – both in the population aged 65 or over, and those aged 80 and older.

There has been an increase in the number of people in Jersey from outside the United Kingdom and Europe, according to the report – but the number of people in the island with a European nationality has reduced.

The report said that ensuring that work controls are flexible and can adapt quickly to support changing market conditions is a "key priority" for this government.

Ministers said that work to improve flexibility is "well advanced".

The Work Permit Policy has recently been updated, and changes to the operation of the Control of Housing and Work Law will be proposed in the new year.

The Control of Housing and Work Law outlines who may legally work, set up a business, and access accommodation in Jersey.

These restrictions apply to everyone on the island, regardless of their nationality.

Pictured: Jersey's current Control of Housing and Work Law establishes four statuses, which determine a person’s ability to access work or housing.

By restricting access to employment opportunities and housing, the Control of Housing and Work Law acts as a control on the overall population of Jersey, according to the report.

But the report found that the law currently lacks the flexibility to adapt to external influences on the island and its workforce. 

It said: "The Council of Ministers recognises the impact of recent events – particularly the restrictions enforced during the pandemic, and the UK’s withdrawal from the EU – on local businesses and is acting to create additional flexibility by amending the Control of Housing and Work Law's regulations.

"The intention is to introduce additional responsiveness while maintaining the robustness of the island’s population controls."

The priority is to mitigate the difficulties many employers and employees experience when trying to source accommodation within the registered sector, according to the report.

Ministers are considering two approaches to do this: expanding the roles eligible for licensed permissions to improve the supply of workers into key sectors, or adjusting the number of years required to access the qualified rental market to ease barriers to workers finding accommodation.

Pictured: The revised regulations have been developed by Assistant Chief Minister Carina Alves.

These revised regulations, developed by Assistant Chief Minister Carina Alves, are due to be lodged and debated in the States Assembly in early 2025.

Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham said: “This report highlights the need for Jersey to manage its population rules with flexibility so that we maintain a successful economy and provide the level of services and skills that islanders expect.”

Recent updates to the Work Permit Policy include expanding the roles eligible for the long-term work permit to provide more options for individuals and businesses, granting permissions to carry out supplementary part-time work to increase the productivity of those already on the island, revising the salary thresholds, and permitting workers to be able to seek new employment after six months to create flexibility for employees.