Investment totalling £29million is being proposed to help tackle the Island’s urgent housing crisis – but will it be enough?
The planned investment in affordable housing aims to make the ambition of owning a home a reality for many Island families by making it realistic and affordable. The proposal also aims to ensure a supply of new homes for rent are built in the years ahead, so those on the lowest incomes can enjoy good quality secure rented homes, built and managed by reputable providers.
The plans form part of the Isle of Wight Council’s draft 2022/23 budget which also includes nearly £2.5million to start up a new council-owned housing company, providing for local people.
Councillor Ian Stephens, deputy leader and Cabinet member for homelessness and housing need, has said:
“Having a place you can call home is a fundamental right which many Islanders are finding increasingly difficult to achieve.
“One of the perverse impacts of the dreadful pandemic we’ve all experienced has been the affect on the Island’s housing market.
“House prices have increased dramatically and private sector rented accommodation has reduced by up to 80 per cent.
“Families, including those with working parents, are presenting to the council as homeless. In these crisis circumstances, it is the council working with partners that the community relies on to act, as was the case in the height of the pandemic.
Article continues below this advertisement “However, with no offer of significant help from government and few capital resources of our own we are prepared to look to borrow money on a business case by business case basis so that we can start to make something happen for Islanders.”
The council is proposing to set aside £25million of its borrowing capability over the next 3 years specifically for the purpose of increasing the supply of affordable housing.
Councillor Stephens said the idea was not to make profit from property development, but to meet the desperate housing needs of Islanders, prioritising brownfield sites within the council’s control for new homes. However, recognising that building takes time, he said the budget also made provision for high-quality relocatable housing that can be brought forward in the next few months.
In addition, a budget of £750,000 continues to be set aside for the compulsory purchase of properties that blight the Island and where landlords seem incapable or unwilling to work in the best interests of all.
Cllr Stephens adds:
“As always, we will work closely with all stakeholders in the housing development sector and town and parish councils in addressing this challenge.
“Our plans will be informed by a partnership based housing strategy, underpinned by a detailed understanding of need.”
The proposals come as figures show a fall of more than 17% in properties empty for 6 months or more on the Island between August 2019 and January 2022 — in contrast to national figures which have risen every year for the last 4 years.
Council staff have been working with owners and landlords to bring their properties back into use, in a bid to increase the supply of quality affordable homes. The authority has also recently invested in 5 units of supported accommodation for local people at risk of rough sleeping.
Bob Seely MP has said:
“I welcome the Isle of Wight Council’s statement of intent to tackle Islanders’ housing needs. We need a plan that increases the number of genuinely affordable homes on the Island. Our young people need first homes, our older people need options for downsizing and families need stability.
“I want to see the council develop a strategy that makes the best use of brownfield sites first. That means using the money it has been allocated from the Government’s Brownfield Land Release Fund to develop brownfield sites.
“It also means thinking creatively about how to utilise brownfield land across the Island to encourage town centre regeneration. For example, in Newport the council needs to end its plans to build homes on greenfield land at Seaclose Park, and instead focus on areas of the town that are in desperate need of regeneration.
“I look forward to hearing more about the councils plans for housing as the budget is finalised.”
The budget will be considered by Full Council on Wednesday 23rd February.
just another excuse to concrete over more of the islands greenfields and add to the pollution and congestion.
instead of looking for ways to increase the population stephens, how about you remove all taxpayer funded moves to the island and get rid of second home ownership.
by getting rid of ayslum seekers, taxpayer funded moves to the island and second home ownership, the housing stock will increase.
we only have the available housing stock reducing because you keep on importing more benefit claimants to the island.
People like you are why people are homeless. No where to rent, islanders born and bread force to leave and live on the mainland.
Islanders have to leave the island because there is very little work for them on the island.
What isle of wighter said is spot on. what he is saying is keep homes on the island for islanders. how is that making people homeless or making them move to the mainland? surely that’s quite the opposite
I cannot imagine why any young people would want to stay on the island. There’s only low paid jobs with very little hope of any progression. Both of my offspring have moved to the mainland and would never come back to live here. Both have said there is no future in low paid jobs with employers that don’t understand paying decent salaries to attract and keep staff.
“Councillor Stephens said the idea was not to make profit from property development”
Yes and I also hope it won’t be loss-making with losses funded by the taxpayer
Just tell the NIMBY lot to go and F off and you’ll solve the housing crisis. All they are interested in is driving up demand so their house value goes up. The NIMBY don’t give two s&$ts about the younger generation stuck in rented housing unable to save for a deposit. Rent on the island is more than most mortgages.
Build more. Make jobs. Give people a reason to live here. Stop selling houses to second home owners from the mainland. And kick the NIMBY lot of the island, they just want to strangle it to death. Most were never even born here. Send them back where they came from.
Well, you would defently solve the so called ‘ housing crisis ‘.
As it would only be you living here !
Families, including those with working parents, are presenting to the council as homeless says stephens.
details stephens, details please….how have they become homeless, how many are born and bred islanders, how many moved here, how many have turned up here claiming to be homeless, how many are asylum seekers being sent here by the various hotels and resettlement processing centres around the country and how many are people that have been released from the jails, that are trying to live here.
In other words, how many are actual islanders, rather than your broad based, coverall description that tries to paint a worse picture.
Judging by your comments it’s you that needs to provide details.
On the contrary “name” – if those that hold positions of power in society, cannot or will not justify and explain, as well as support their decisions with facts, then they are not fit for office..
those that tell the truth welcome the challenge, those that lie, seek to subvert, divert and shut down the challenge with anger, hatred, finger pointing and do everything they can to avoid answering the questions.
OK Mr Stephens, please tell us where all these occupants are going to find meaningful and useful employment to earn the money needed to buy these houses, and even then after paying the ridiculous council tax you charge? Go on, answer please, now.
But of course they could have useless senseless jobs with the council, they pay good rates for the useless. Or, there again, there is the flourishing drug trade on the Island.
So that will be 20 mil on consultation 2 mil to employ a few to organise and the rest on a few hutches
Sorry but you forgot the cost of the brown envelopes that need to be obtained
Once again we are back to the fundamental reasons why this once beautiful island is going to ruins. Namby pampy councillors too scared to say NO.
Sadly this word will be outlawed and deleted from the dictionary.
Instead of feeding the problem why not stop it at its roots.
NO to second homeowners
NO to benefit breeders offspring getting ahead of hard working islanders. Make them share their free provided home till they’re old and grey.
NO to asylum seekers.
NO to island based prisoners families moving here.
NO to large profit making house builders. There are plenty of derelict places they can renovate for profit.
Just stop building unnecessary housing which only those selling up on the mainland can afford.
Many people wouldnt be homeless or needing rented accommodation if 100% mortgages were re introduced, it cost much more monthly to rent than to buy, Im sure anyone with forsight would prefer to buy than give their money away every month so that others can invest, its a no brainer really, why give your money away when you could keep it in bricks and mortar just my logical view
We have a house across the road from me worth £300 000+ that is up for rent for £1350per month. To buy on 100%mortgage would be nearly £2000 per month so how is it more expensive to rent
Our infastruture roads, schools ,.hospitols ,transport. ect should be the first priority on this island before any further developement is undertaken .
Would be nice to see new places to rent, new housing association, new builds.. BUT.. can they please make the flats a little bigger.. people have belongings, where are we supposed to put them ?? I am in a tiny one bed HA flat, due to landlord selling a rented property out from under me , made me homeless within a month ! I am disabled and have exercise machines to keep body moving, but there is no room for them, in this HA flat. No spare room at all. Would they please consider making a one bed flat with A) Larger kitchen.. B) a small office type room, either for personal storage, like a bicycle or sports equipment.. INSIDE the flat.
Another idea, after I retired I had no choice but to get a Housing Association tiny flat. I am on state pension, have an okay income. Why can’t Banks or Government allow 100% interest only mortgages again ? I could afford it as would be cheaper each month than paying a landlord… after time the prop0erty would be worth more than the loan, so on either moving or death, sell the property on, no one loses, ?????
Spending £2.5 million of council tax money, purely to set up the company seems a large amount.
29 million into the pockets of the developers, subsidising the housing market has never reduced the price of new properties.
This building is not for the benefit of island people, its for a bigger population from the mainland…..what i want to know is, were are they all going to work???….
They won’t be here to work, they will be over spill from those who don’t work. How many new houses recently built have people in them that work?
What a great idea create Council Houses, bet that hasn’t been tried before !