Six families’ hopes of a home dashed
Saturday 24th September 2011, 3:00PM BST.
The empty property at Uplands, New St John's Road
SIX families waiting to move in to discount Homebuy houses have had their dreams dashed after the plug was pulled on the scheme.
The six homes at Uplands have been redesignated by Environment Minister Rob Duhamel as ‘first-time buyer’ homes, instead of discounted ‘Homebuyer’ properties – a change that netted the developer around £900,000 and which has put the houses out of the reach of the six families who have been waiting more than a year to move in.
But there is complete confusion over who is responsible. Deputy Duhamel says the States’ lawyers told him they could not use the Homebuy scheme and blamed the Parish of St Helier for pushing the issue to a conclusion.
Meanwhile, Housing Minister Andrew Green – whose St Helier No 3 district includes the Uplands site – is blaming Deputy Duhamel saying his handling of the scheme has been ‘appalling’.
• See Saturday’s JEP for the full story
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put this right and give these families a home.
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Kerchinggggggggg
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Well done Minister’s Duhamel & Green…you have only disappointed, disilluisioned and destroyed 6 families lives. By comparison to the other members of your cabal, you pair are humanitarians. Give it some time and you’ll get the hang of screwing over dozens if not hundreds of locals with your ineptitude, lies and duplicity.
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If the families have been led up the garden path and then led back down again, I am sorry for them, but that is not the root of the problem.
The problem as I see it is:
1) Inflated and unaffordable housing for low income families;
2) Social housing rents and tenancies at loggerheads with the free market;
3) A Housing Department attempting to buck the real world, at tax payers expense and play ‘God’ in the free market.
Outcome: Pain al round.
Suggested solution:
A) Housing subsidies, if needed, should be made the responsibility of Social Security;
B) States of Jersey Social Housing should be let a fair market rates;
C) The free market should be made a truly ‘free market’ for all those prepared to pay tax at ‘twenty means twenty’.
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It’s immoral to treat people this way. shame on you Deputy Duhamel
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For years, Deputy Duhamel has kept his head well below the political parapit avoiding all the arrows of incompetance that would challange his reelection to a States meal ticket. Apart from representing the self absorbed zombies who have constsntly voted him back into office. He has done noting to advance the economy or benifit the Island as a whole.
After having elevated himself in into the grandiose office of Environment Minister, we now see exactly how totally incompetent and out depth he is when it comes to understanding and executing “POLICY” and development LAW. It is obvious that the Civil Servants in charge of this department have been able run rings around him in order to advance their own self serving agendas – namely that of catering to the pockets of the developers.
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Moderator – #6 Typo corrections – please post the following:
For years, Deputy Duhamel has kept his head well below the political parapet avoiding all the arrows of incompetence that would challenge his reelection to a States meal ticket. Apart from representing the self absorbed zombies who have constantly voted him back into office. He has done noting to advance the economy or benefit the Island as a whole.
After having elevated himself in into the grandiose office of Environment Minister, we now see exactly how totally incompetent and out depth he is when it comes to understanding and executing “POLICY” and development LAW. It is obvious that the Civil Servants in charge of this department have been able run rings around him in order to advance their own self serving agendas – namely that of catering to the pockets of the developers.
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What a fascinating insight into how the press can spin a story for some ends during election. This headline could just as easily have been devastatingly negative against ALL the other parties, or even positive in that it appears to have been resolved anyway. But NO a sitting Deputy facing an election ,fresh into the Ministerial position (so undoubtably inherited the situation), gets the most damning of press .
Who gains, no doubt the JEP will be supporting Francis Le Gresley or newly elected (according to the JEP at least) Sir Philip for Environment Minister when Deputy Duhamel fails to get elected because of this ‘interpretation of the facts’.
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bad luck – they’ll have to join the housing market like the rest of us now…
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Am I the only person who thinks we shouldn’t be subsidising housing? £275,000 for a house, I paid more than that for a flat. As a taxpayer I don’t want my taxes spent on giving people a house that they can’t afford. I’m sorry they were misled but we shouldn’t be subsidising housing for families with kids while the rest of us responsible couples who don’t have kids we can’t afford pay market price.
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I have just looked at Rob Duhamel’s voting habits within the chamber and am sorry to say the guy is a ******.
Its no wonder Bailhache thinks you are all disgusting! I agree.. these are the kind of folk that are supposed to represent people? Sack the lot of them NOW lets get some decent human beings in there please keep Francis Le Gresley in as long as he can start realising that locals need to be treated fairly.
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Typical, debating and going round in circles until no-one really knows whose responsiblity it is….
Bunch of inept, inexperienced States members and no accountability = more money for the developer and 6 homes empty! GOOD JOB….
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Disgraceful!! Yet another example of the difficulties facing people getting on the housing ladder and owning their own homes. It’s alright tho at least the developer has generated nearly another £1 million in revenues – are we stupid or what?
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@9 – Taxpayer
It is a shared equity scheme so will not affect the market directly as the states will own a portion of the home. When it comes round to selling the property again the states will earn their portion.
I know what you mean tho. £300k plus for a flat in town for the rest of us is utter madness.
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Vicki- how right you are. His voting is downright weird. What has he acheived in all the years he has been there? Zilch.
Francis Le Gresley has acheived more in the last year than most members in several full terms.
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The best thing not to do is vote for these nuckle heads they are just a waste of time.
And all talk the same ole bull S@”t
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Pass the buck here we go again…. promises promises… this Island is throwing money down the pan as they don’t know how & where to use it …another impact on the tax payers…
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Family or not – I have three children – We should not be subsidising Housing. It is a waste of tax dollars.
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Another story to manipulate the emotions of people please try and raise the level.
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I just think this is soo unfair on the families concerned.
Its easy for the Minister to pass the blame on to States lawyers – but is this true? What was the legal justification if the Jersey Homebuy Scheme has got this far? I’m not sure I believe this.
I think this Minister has shown incompetence. He cannot just cut off the work of his predecessor to the detriment of people.
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11. Vicki
Why just treat locals fairly, why not everyone? Immigrants contribute a lot to this island but are entitled to so little, lets treat everyone with a little dignity shall we?
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The developer was happy to sell these houses for £275,000 at presumably a profit to him. (Cost to build – probably £150,000 )
But oh no, we must not let such cheap tat undermine the housing market, so lets find people who are mug enough to pay a further £150,000 PROFIT to the developer, as this is Jersey and house prices ALWAYS rise !
This ‘subsidy’ was never going to cost the tax payer ANYTHING – it was just a reduction to the developers profit !
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Warren J 22 –
This ‘subsidy’ was never going to cost the tax payer ANYTHING – it was just a reduction to the developers profit !
It’s hardly fair to the rest of us though is it, market rate for this type of property is circa £450,000 – £480,000 how would you feel if you’d paid £200,000 more for the same type of property. I’m a local man, paid tax and social for 30 years and had to pay market rate for my home, why is my entitlement any less than the next man.
This discount homes scheme should be available to all or none.
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Re #23, not sure what your rant at me is about, and like most respondents to this article, you have missunderstood the facts.
The bare facts of the matter on these new builds is that the asking price far exceeds the sum of the parts, resulting in developers making a killing. However people are happy to pay, so all well and good to the developer.
The existing hoime buy houses at St Lawrence were not selling, so rather than the developer selling them off cheap, the States conjured up a scheme whereby THEY would benefit if the properties were sold at an higher market price at a later date.
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@9 Taxpayer
I agree.
I had to wait 15 years before I can afford (and was allowed) to buy, and now I am in a 30 years mortgage up to my neck.
Why some can get discounted houses and why not others?
Why use my tax money on families who cannot afford a proper house, to put them in a brand new building, while I have to pay full price for something who needs a lot of maintenance.
They can keep renting.
Sometimes you have to choose: a house or some kids.
Why some can have both and some have to choose? Why should the States help some and not others?
Do you have to get your mrs pregnant at 16 to be on the list ?
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#18 I have to agree David. The States of Jersey should be treating everyone equally. This isn’t treating people equally, this is treating certain ‘young’ people more favourably.
And we do qualify for the first-time buyers scheme but we simply do not agree with the scheme so won’t use it. (That might upset some who commented on another thread who want to kid themselves that all non-parents are selfish though!)
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It stands to reason that a drop in prices in any market sector will have an effect on the value of other homes within it. I expressed this concern when it was first mooted and it creates unfairness elsewhere.
Sure, it is always a good thing to help someone out but what about the ones being disadvantaged by it?
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