09 October 2024
For the first time, the Government of Jersey is making available reliable data on the nature and scale
of homelessness in Jersey.
The Homelessness in Jersey Report, Second Quarter 2024 has been published just ahead of World
Homeless Day (Thursday 10 October), by the Housing Minister.
The Report can be read here: Homelessness in Jersey Report: Second Quarter 2024 (gov.je)
Tackling the issue of homelessness in Jersey is one of the Housing Minister’s priorities and part of the
Homelessness Strategy.
Earlier this year, the Minister launched a project to improve the collection of evidence on
homelessness in Jersey, drawing together data from organisations in Jersey who assist people who
are homeless or facing homelessness. The organisations who have reported their data and will
continue to do so every quarter, in an anonymised format, so up to date reports can be created, are:
- The Shelter Trust
- FREEDA (formerly the Women’s Refuge)
- The Sanctuary Trust, and
- The Government of Jersey’s Housing Advice Service (HAS)
Some of the themes to emerge in the first report are:
- There were 220 service visits by 204 Islanders to homeless accommodation and service
providers;
- Issues of houselessness, with 180 Islanders living in temporary shelter accommodation;
- Instances where people are living in insecure/vulnerable housing situations, including the
threat of eviction and domestic abuse
- The difference between the issues raised by, and requirements of, men and women. The
report shows that homelessness was highest among men at 75% of recorded, with women
comprising 25% of recorded cases.
- Substance use (alcohol and drug use) is the main recorded reason for homelessness amongst
males at 14%.
- At risk of, has experience of, or escaping domestic abuse is the main reason for homelessness
amongst females at 39%.
- 85 per cent of homeless Islanders referred to in the report have ‘Entitled’ residential status.
Commenting on the publication of the first quarterly report, Housing Minister Deputy Sam Mézec,
said: “For a number of years, there has been a lack of meaningful data available regarding the
situation in Jersey regarding homelessness. This has made it hard to fully and accurately understand
the scale and nature of the issue in Jersey.
“The creation and implementation of this first homelessness report brings together data from
different organisations in the Island, who support Islanders who are in situations concerning
homelessness. The reporting of this data will provide a deeper understanding of the level of demand
on different providers and how they respond to the issue of homelessness.
“It also gives us a better understanding of the service user’s journey and their engagement with the
organisation they are in contact with and what their outcomes are.”
The Minister added: “I am deeply grateful to the agencies who have taken time to work with my
team to provide data, which allow us all to develop a broader, richer, deeper understanding of this
issue so that informed and useful policy can be created to tackle the issues surrounding
homelessness. It is however, always important to remember that behind the statistics, there are
many individual stories, and we must always remember the very human nature of this issue."
gov.je