The Isle of Man’s Chief Minister (Ard-Shirveishagh) has appointed Rob Callister MHK to a newly created Minister for Housing and Communities role.

The announcement comes a day after Chris Thomas told Isle of Man Today that he had previously wanted to take responsibility for housing himself.

Mr Thomas said housing had been a central priority in his bid to become Chief Minister and that establishing a dedicated ministerial position was an important part of his plans.

Speaking to Isle of Man Today earlier this week, before Mr Callister’s appointment was announced, he said: ‘In my [Chief Minister] manifesto, I made it quite clear that the housing was something that needed to be done, and I I would have liked to have done it differently from 2021 onwards because I I wanted myself to be Housing Minister.

‘In the end, I ended up being chair for a couple of years of the housing and communities board with other ministers initially, and then eventually I became a minister and was a minister amongst other ministers.’

The government has now confirmed that Mr Callister will take on the new portfolio and join the Council of Ministers.

Onchan MHK Mr Callister will lead the development of a prioritised action plan to address the island’s housing needs.

This includes an existing Tynwald commitment to build, provide or facilitate up to 1,000 affordable homes over the ten years from April 2025.

The government says evidence of housing need should inform decisions about funding, available sites and the construction industry's capacity to deliver new homes.

Announcing the appointment, Mr Thomas said: ‘When I stood to be Ard-Shirveishagh (Chief Minister), I set out in my manifesto a clear commitment to fix housing. That is why I have appointed a minister with responsibility for this policy area.’

He acknowledged that considerable work remained.

He added: ‘There is action we can take, but there is a significant amount of work ahead, and I am grateful to Mr Callister for taking on this critical area of responsibility. In the coming days, we will meet to agree clear objectives and priorities for the work ahead.’

In a statement, Mr Callister welcomed his appointment, describing housing as one of the island’s biggest challenges.

He said: ‘Housing is one of the biggest challenges facing the Isle of Man, and I am delighted to take on the role of Minister for Housing and Communities.

‘Having a safe, secure and affordable home matters to every individual and family, but housing is also fundamental to the Island’s future prosperity.’

He added: ‘I am pleased to join the Council of Ministers and look forward to working with colleagues, local authorities and the wider community to turn ambition into action, increase the delivery of the homes our Island needs and make a real difference to people’s lives over the next five years.’

The Chief Minister and Mr Callister are expected to agree objectives and priorities for the new role in the coming days.