States Members agreed a one-year decrease yesterday as part of a strategy to reduce the time limit to ten years by the end of 2010.
When the period has been reduced previously, around 350 people have instantly become eligible to access A-H housing, both to buy and rent, and can leave the frequently expensive and cramped non-qualified sector.
The States also agreed a change to 1(1)k – rich resident – rules that will allow the Housing Minister to veto incoming residents who might meet the stipulated economic or social tests but who he thinks should not be allowed to move here ‘in the best interests of the community’.
The qualifying reduction was passed by 44 votes to five, and the rich resident change by 36 votes to 14. The five voting against the qualifying reduction were Senators Stuart Syvret and Sarah Ferguson, the Constable of St John and Deputies Carolyn Labey and Jeremy Maçon.
