28 March 2022
Eligibility rules for accessing rented housing through the Gateway are being updated this week.
From 1 April 2022, the following changes to the criteria will apply:
- Entry age for applicants without children will be reduced from 50 down to 40 years of age
- The single income limit of £40,000 per annum will be replaced by multiple limits that reflect household composition. The new limits will range from £23,000 per annum (single applicant and no children) up to £64,000 per annum (joint applicant and three children or more)
- A household savings limit of £70,000 will be introduced
Applications can be made now by those who become eligible on 1 April, from when their applications will become active.
The Minister for Housing and Communities, Deputy Russell Labey, said: "I am pleased to implement these changes, first announced in my Fair Rents Plan. The updated criteria mean that more Islanders will be eligible for social housing. I have also committed to a further reduction in the entry age for Islanders without children, bringing this down to 25 by 2025.
"Those already on existing waiting lists will have their current position preserved. An expanded Gateway will introduce more fairness to the eligibility rules and better reflect the true need for social housing in the Island."
The full updated eligibility conditions will be published on gov.je on Friday.
gov.je