Ensuring everyone has a safe and secure place they can call home is a primary need and from which healthy and sustainable communities grow. That is why, given the number of people who find themselves homeless or at risk of being homeless on the Island of Jersey - particularly among people under 25 - we are proud to be supporting a homelessness review that will evaluate the scope and nature of homelessness across the Island and inform a strategy to tackle it.

Expected to be completed by early 2020, the review and strategy was launched by an independent Strategic Board that brings together the Government of Jersey, voluntary and community organisations and housing providers.

Owned by the community, the review will aim to establish actions that may be taken in order to tackle homelessness, which remains relatively hidden in Jersey. To begin the review and to provide information and evidence of the challenges that people face on a daily basis, an Island-wide survey is being undertaken to collect information and experiences from both organisations and individuals.

With financial support being provided by Ocorian Trustees, Head of Alternative Investments at Ocorian, Simon Burgess, has been appointed as the independent chair to the Board and Associate Director, Lisa Grant is acting as secretary with cover provided by Senior Administrator, Emily Clark. The board meetings are being facilitated at our Ocorian Jersey offices.

Commenting on the review and strategy, Simon said:

"I am delighted to be able to support this project and help the valuable work being undertaken already by community groups on the Island. Over the next twelve months the Strategic Board will be focussing on reviewing the extent of homelessness in Jersey and the size of the challenge. The Board aims to develop a strategy for tackling homelessness, including an agreed set of actions that can be taken forward.

We recognise that a wide range of organisations help homeless households on a daily basis in providing accommodation, support and advice. This project is all about recognising the work that is already being undertaken to understand how that can be strengthened and build upon it collaboratively.

The results of the survey will be hugely valuable to the Strategic Board in drawing up its conclusions and recommendations. Individuals and organisations can take part in the survey or simply to share experiences by contacting the Board through a newly created website (www.homelessnessforum.je)".

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