900+ people waiting for social housing on the IoM

Figures released as part of FoI request

More than 900 people on the Isle of Man are currently on a waiting list for public sector housing.

As of April this year there were 735 individuals seeking to rent a government, or local authority owned, property.

An additional 201 people were waiting for sheltered accommodation.

The figures have been released as part of a Freedom of Information request which was submitted earlier this month.

They show that the majority of people are waiting for a property in Douglas – at 232 – which is followed by 141 who have applied for any Department of Infrastructure property.

The housing provider with the lowest number of people waiting is Braddan Parish Commissioners which has 17 on its list.

Ramsey and Northern District Housing Committee has the most people waiting for sheltered housing, with 58 applicants, whilst Garff Commissioners has the fewest at 14.

In Tynwald, last month, the number of empty – or ‘void’ – properties across the public sector housing stock was revealed.

Figures, up to the end of March, show there were 165.

The Department of Infrastructure said the statistics – which date between 2021 and 2024 – show a significant increase in the number of void properties.

However it says this can be attributed to the impact that major capital projects have had where properties either needed redevelopment or demolition.

These, the DoI says, have had a ‘direct impact’ on the total numbers of void properties at School Hill in Castletown and Cooil ny Marrey in Ramsey.

The Westlands redevelopment in Peel, between 2022 and 2024, which has now concluded means void levels for Peel and the west have returned to ‘normal levels’.

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