Local News
Government to Establish New Agency for Transforming Derelict Buildings and Vacant Lots into Housing Solutions in Barbados
The Government of Barbados is establishing a new agency to convert derelict buildings and vacant lots into housing solutions, aiming to address the country's housing deficit. The project has secured funding from the Inter-American Development Bank for technical studies. Minister of Housing Dwight Sutherland stated that there are currently 18,000 housing applications pending, with 8,000 homes still needed to meet demand. The government plans to work with property owners, rather than taking advantage of them, to repurpose these properties for housing. The government is partnering with East-West Solutions, Dura Villa, and HOPE to construct 10,000 homes, with ongoing progress across various locations. The construction of infrastructure to support the homes is a significant factor in the pace of development. Additional housing plans are also being considered for residents of the City of Bridgetown, with potential relocations and new developments in Greenfield and Halls Road.
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Originally published by barbadostoday.bb (opens in new tab)
Government will soon create a new agency to lead the charge of transforming derelict buildings and vacant lots into housing solutions for Barbadians, and it has already received funding to get the ball rolling.
Minister of Housing Dwight Sutherland made the disclosure as he pointed to a major housing deficit, with 18 000 applications currently before the National Housing Corporation (NHC).
Speaking at the Barbados Labour Party’s St Michael West branch annual general meeting at St Leonard’s Boys School on Sunday, he said there were 25 000 derelict and vacant lots across the island and the new state-run enterprise will help supplement the 10 000 homes the current administration is seeking to build during its tenure.
“We have some 18 000 applications at National Housing for housing and we have embarked on a 10 000 housing resolution . . . . There is still a deficit of 8 000, so the demand for housing is great. We are looking for avenues to satisfy the demand of the 18 000 applicants. One of our other projects is the utilisation of derelict and vacant lots. We have 25 000 vacant lots and derelict properties.
“So we are finding a way as a government to create a company that can treat that and have Government as a shareholder, similar to how we formed HOPE [Home Ownership Providing Energy]. We want to build a company to address derelict properties, not to take advantage of the owners but to work with them to put those derelict properties into use for housing,” he said.
“You have 18 000 NHC applicants and you have 25 000 derelict and vacant lots, so why leave them? That process [to create the company] has started . . . . We have received $700 000 from the IDB [Inter-American Development Bank] as a grant to assist us with the technical studies for that project.”
Sutherland promised to make a further announcement to give more details on that project in a few months.
He told the gathering that based on surveys that had been conducted, Barbados has sufficient land to construct more than 20 000 houses, but the Government embarked on a 10 000 housing scheme as it was a more realistic five-year target.
He said work to erect the 10 000 houses was progressing well and while some people had criticised the pace at which the houses were being constructed, it took time to build the infrastructure to support the homes.
The Government has partnered with three companies in its efforts – China’s East-West Solutions for steel-framed houses, Guyana’s Dura Villa to build hardwood houses, and HOPE.
