Homelessness In Jersey
Although rough sleeping is the most visible form of homelessness, far more people experience ‘hidden homelessness’. Pushed to the brink, these are people sleeping on the sofas of family and friends, living in cars or other temporary accommodation with no stability or security.
During 2019, a report was commissioned to gather information regarding the homeless situation in Jersey, which has since fed into Jersey’s first homelessness strategy, published in 2021. As part of this, a survey was carried out of 121 homeless individuals, 38% were homeless due to relatives or friends no longer being willing or able to accommodate them. Given this reason, we can suppose that this will have most impact on 18-25 year olds.
Covid-19 and its economic impacts have been felt across the community of Jersey, but especially with those most vulnerable to economic shifts (zero-hour contracts, hospitality industry, first in first out policies), rising rent prices and the impact of lockdown and other measures on housing, education and family situations.
During 2020 there was a marked increase in homelessness in Jersey and this has not diminished in 2022, with still a lack of adequate housing provision for those most vulnerable to homelessness and the continued economic fluctuations.
This shows us that the need for JAYF is still pressing. We are one of only two third sector providers, who specifically cater for 18-25 year olds, with a gap in provision for this age group identified in the same report.
The Government of Jersey has developed a number of policies and regulations that have shown that JAYF’s services are still relevant and needed for Jersey.
Jersey Homelessness Strategy
Homelessness is a term meaning different things to different people. This report explains Jersey’s first strategy for tackling the issue of homelessness in our island, whether in the visible form of rough sleeping or less obvious challenges around access to housing, unsuitable or unsafe accommodation and threat of eviction.
The Strategy has been developed in partnership between the Government of Jersey, social housing providers, the third sector and private sector organisations, and aims to strengthen the housing safety net to prevent homelessness and provide for those who need support. We want to provide hope for everyone that they can resolve their particular housing situation.