Farewell to Jersey's portacabins and slums...?

Yesterday's evening presentation at the Town Hall was attended by about a dozen only of Jersey's 98,000 population. This is hardly surprisng since the purpose and time of the meeting was almost kept a secret and when I asked about it at the Town Hall during the day nobody knew what it was about or had any details or leaflets to offer.

If this Island government is serious about tackling the appalling housing conditions endured by so many it will have to show more resolution than this. As always, no Press Releases were sent out to bloggers such as I and it seems like just another limp PR aspect of the housing reforms package currently being touted.

However for the 98,000 who did not attend and especially the 10,000 "non-quals" working adults (and their children) who live in the worst conditions of all Jersey residents - here is a video-recording of the 25 minutes presentation from Val Cameron and Steve Petrie (?) for the Health Department.

There was no mention of portacabins before I left the meeting but I suspect that these will still be with us for many more years to come - in spite of election promises etc from our most senior States members! (see previous posting on this blog).

PUBLIC HEALTH and SAFETY (DWELLINGS) (JERSEY) LAW 201- is now a Draft Law only but if ever approved and implemented could have a substantial effect.

Of course, it is unlikley to attract the xenophobic enthusiasm currently being shown by so many States' Members and the general public to discover and expose "immigrants" and "white van man" under the related Housing and and ID card Laws soon to be implemented.

It is unlikley that there will similar calls to appoint inspectors to do "spot checks" on Jersey's worst landlords or to bring prosecutions for instances of dampness, fungus, broken and dangerous stairs, overcharging etc etc in the private sector - but since the Housing Department is to be abolished who might actually be legally liable for currently sub-standard States "social" housing in future, is not at all clear....