Housing boss has 'more optimism' for young owners

The new person at the helm of Jersey's main social housing provider wants more young islanders to be confident about owning their own homes in the island.

Lindsay Wood has been in post as chief executive of the States-owned Andium Homes for just over a week.

Speaking to the BBC, she said there were "many more opportunities to buy now in the public sector".

She said some young people may be unaware of what's on offer which sees them turn to the UK, and that she wants to change that.

Ms Wood was speaking at a development site on the Grande Route de St Jean, next to the Sion Methodist Church, where 37 affordable homes are currently being built.

She said there's never been a better time to access social housing as the criteria has widened.

"There will be several hundred opportunities to buy our homes on the Andium Home Buy scheme over the next few years", she said.

"When people buy these homes, they buy the home outright but they pay for 70 or 75 per cent of the property. The other element is deferred until the property is sold and they don't need to pay a deposit to own that first home as well.

"So we're providing affordable opportunities for first time buyers that way."

Buyers don't need a deposit to purchase through the scheme, but they are required to pay legal fees and other costs. Homes ranging from one-bedroom flats to four-bedroom houses are all eligible.

Ms Wood also spoke about wanting to change how people view social housing, saying that while it provides an important safety net, its also "much more than that".

She said: "Social housing is much broader in Jersey, and there's lots of opportunities for people to rent and for first time buyers.

"For young people generally I think there's an opportunity for people to have more optimism that they can stay on the island... perhaps they feel the Jersey property market is out of reach and they're considering going to the UK or elsewhere.

"We want to let them know what the opportunities are here for them to stay on the island and make their own life and raise their own family."

Ms Wood has worked for Andium since it's creation, and she said she's taking up her new role at a time when the company is in "really good shape".

"I've seen it [Andium] go from strength to strength. We've brought all the homes up to the decent homes standard, so they all meet the maintenance requirements. We've delivered 1,100 new homes and we've completed a major refurbishment of over 500 homes" she said.