Government should commit to providing 1,000 new affordable homes over the next decade, a report to Tynwald concludes.

The Housing and Communities Board (HCB) set out the target in response to a housing need assessment published earlier this year.

That assessment concluded that almost 10,000 new homes for sale and rent would be needed to meet the government’s target of growing the Isle of Man’s population to 100,000.

It also found that almost 1,000 extra public sector rented homes would be required to meet need over the period 2021-41.

The HCB said that regardless of future projections, there is a shortage of housing to meet the needs of existing residents.

In a foreword to the HCB’s policy response, chairman David Ashford MHK acknowledged: ‘There is no quick fix to alleviating pressure on suitable housing availability and affordability.

‘But it is the absolute ambition of the board on behalf of the Council of Ministers, by the end of this administration, to have significantly improved the conditions to allow government to deliver housing programmes that can change how people live for the better. ‘

The HCB called on Tynwald to support a commitment to build, provide or facilitate up to 1,000 affordable homes over 10 years beginning April next year, subject to the availability of appropriate funding.

It said there are opportunities with the potential introduction of a Housing Association to deliver a consolidated housing programme.

The board also called on funding to bring the current 48 empty public sector properties around the island back into use.

And it set out a commitment to confirm at least two sites, or one large multi-use site, within the government estate over the next 12 months that can be developed to provide supported living accommodation - with business cases to be presented to Treasury for consideration.

The report is due to be debated at December’s sitting of Tynwald which will be asked to support its recommendations.

There are currently high levels of public sector properties unable to be let due to repair requirements, with one local authority estimating that £477,000 was required to bring 44 empty properties back into circulation, the HCB policy document notes.

Other social housing providers reported a total of four void properties, which would cost around £80,000 to repair.

Phase one of plans to establish a Housing Association is due for completion in April next year, if approved.

The board points out that government has a number of potential sites that could be used for new housing projects as well as existing buildings that could be adapted and used to meet numbers required for supported housing.

It says that in excess of 1,000 new homes have got planning approval during the current administration.