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Story by Local Democracy Reporter Ewan Gawne

The infrastructure minister says a tenant’s ability to pay is considered when setting rents, alongside the need for investment and maintenance in social housing.

 

It was announced this week that rents for those in public sector homes will rise by 1.9 per cent from April, meaning tenants will have to pay an extra £1-2 a week depending on their property size.

 

The Department of Infrastructure and local authorities provide housing across the Island, but the cost of maintaining and investing in homes far outstrips what’s collected in rental income.

 

Government is expecting to pay out around £6 million in the coming year to plug this gap in funding, through what’s known as the ‘deficiency payments’.

 

Housing providers such as Douglas Council have called for more cash to be raised for spending on updating older stock, and for investment in new housing projects.

 

Local Democracy Reporter Ewan Gawne asked Mr Harmer if operation costs were the overriding factor in setting the rents:

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