1,565 new homes needed in Guernsey by 2027, according to government report

The States Strategic Housing Indicator aims to make more efficient use of Guernsey's housing stock. Credit: ITV Channel

More than 300 new homes will need to be built in Guernsey every year in order to keep up with demand, according to a new government report.

The States Strategic Housing Indicator sets out how many new units of accommodation will be required in the bailiwick.

By 2027, the report suggests that 1,565 new units of accommodation will be needed. That's an average of 313 additional homes per year over the next four years.

Of that figure, 844 units of private market accommodation are required, along with 721 units of affordable housing.

Recent population and household data and an assumed net migration figure of more than 300 people a year are used to calculate the figure.

Guernsey's Environment and Infrastructure Committee hopes the indicator will help housing providers, developers, planners and politicians make informed decisions on the amount and type of housing needed on the island.

Committee president, Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez, says the indicator takes into account those who have additional housing needs, such as live-in carers, and households where custody of children is split.

Deputy de Sausmarez says Guernsey's housing needs will be reviewed on a yearly or as-needs basis. Credit: ITV Channel

She says: "We know that household compositions are typically resulting in a need for smaller units of accommodation and to some extent, but to a much lesser extent in the affordable housing sector, a few larger units as well.

“I’d like to stress that the housing indicator is not a target: we are not saying that we must build over 1,500 homes.

"This is an indicator that helps us understand the extent to which Guernsey’s housing need is being met, and is a very useful tool not just for developers but also for the Development & Planning Authority"