Citizens Advice Guernsey sees 80% rise in calls for housing support
Roisin Gauson has been to meet two islanders who have spent more than a year looking for a place of their own.
Citizens Advice Guernsey says it's facing an unprecedented rise in the number of people calling on them for help to put a roof over their head.
The organisation has seen an increase of around 80 per cent in the number of enquiries for support on 2021, with more and more islanders struggling to find affordable housing.
It follows a report from Guernsey Community Foundation which criticised the States, saying it has no clear strategy for homelessness in the island - especially as the States currently has no agreed definition for 'homeless' to work from.
The number of people on waiting lists for social housing has also hit a 12-year high.
Sarnia Housing has 14 units of temporary accommodation for young families. But with waiting lists for accommodation stretching to more than a year, many have resorted to leaving the island instead.
Jane Le Conte, the organisation's Accommodation Manager says: “I accommodated a young man this morning who is going to be able to celebrate his son’s second birthday because he now has a roof over his head. He’s been sofa surfing for months and that instability of not knowing where you’re going to be next week, you know the anxiety and stress that goes with that and the impact on your mental health.
"The situation is more than just not having a permanent bed to lay your head on - the ramifications go wide and deep.”