03 April 2013
Islanders are invited to attend a seminar on Tuesday 23 April at the Town Hall in St Helier at 6.30pm to hear more about how the proposed draft law on housing conditions may affect them.
Evidence shows that inadequate housing conditions can cause physical and mental health problems. Some of the housing-related problems that may lead to these are:
- cold and dampness
- indoor pollutants
- poor-quality design
- safety hazards
- inadequate fire precautions
- noise
- overcrowding
- the feeling of being ‘trapped’
Val Cameron, Head of Health Protection Services, said "The key principle of the law is that any residential premises should provide a safe and healthy environment for any potential occupier. The home is central to life and fulfils the human need for shelter. It also meets the human desires for comfort, security, privacy, independence and personal identity and is central to achieving health and wellbeing."
Mrs Cameron added "The draft law will change the way dwellings are inspected to a risk-based approach which determines the hazards and how likely injury or illness is to occur. This system is based on a huge amount of data on the reasons for hospital admissions in the UK and the links to poor housing conditions. We look forward to receiving the views of Islanders on this important topic.
"The passing of the new law will be subject to the usual political processes, once we have taken on board feedback received during this public consultation process."
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