BARBADOS: 10 000 houses in five years

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Source: Barbados Today-Barbadians can expect to see a ramping up of the construction of houses under the Home Ownership Providing Energy (HOPE) housing project in the coming months, Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced Monday in the 2024/2025 Budget.

Admitting that there had been several challenges in meeting the “ambitious objectives” of the housing project to provide 10 000 homes in five years. Mottley said several systems have been implemented to try to address some of the issues hampering the construction process, including the procurement of materials and the bottlenecks in executing mortgage transactions.

“We have had some problems with HOPE, and the structure and the systems were not sufficient, and we are now in the process of completing those systems and the employment of persons necessary so that we can roll out an industrial scale in terms of procurement, in terms of surveying, in terms of construction, in terms of every aspect of getting a house up and running, because this is not as simple as building five or ten houses when you are looking to build the kinds of numbers that we want to build,” she said.

Pointing out that 1 119 houses were built and delivered to homeowners through the HOPE project, the PM stressed “What we did in two years, we must now be doing in one year and therefore it is not beyond our reach, but we need to be able to make it happen”.

Acknowledging that she was not happy with the current situation, she nevertheless expressed her belief that the targets could still be achieved.

She pointed out that the joint venture programme to be embarked on between the Ministry of Housing, the National Housing Corporation and private sector providers would result in another 2 561 housing solutions being created in St Philip and St Lucy, separate from the HOPE project.

Commenting on the government’s decision to engage with a Chinese company to help the island in the rebuilding process after the passage of Hurricane Elsa, she pointed out that while the original intention was for Chinese labour to do the work, this had not worked out as the personnel could not get transit visas to Barbados, leaving the island for use local labour which was more expensive.

She said, however, that an assessment conducted by an independent quantity surveying team, BCQS, demonstrated that while the costs were over the original budget, they were in line with market expectations compared to the resources out of China.
(JB)

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16 COMMENTS

  1. Mia saw the 500 houses that world boss delivered in 500 days and got jealous. Economic powerhouse leading the way.

    • Looking for an argument. Why compare yourselves to Barbados. Look for another place to do your comparisons. Barbados GDP is BDS$13 billion approx US$7 billion. Antigua GDP according to Word Bank is US $1.8 billon. Barbados economy is 7 times that of Antigua. Bajan world queen Rihanna is worth US$2billion which is larger than Antigua economy and the economies of the OECS countries

  2. Take note Maria ‘Nepo Baby’ Browne. That’s how you promise to build homes for your indigenous population; and highlighting possible issues through being transparent. Nice!

    10,000 homes to be built is ambitious by the Most Honourable Mia Mottley; and I for one will be watching very closely at the two countries for comparisons.

    Barbados 🇧🇧 please cherish your Prime Minister. You Bajans are truly blessed with a World renowned leader

    CAN YOU STEP UP TO THE PLATE MARIA?

  3. I am sure Mia is not destroying agriculture lands for her country housing project development. Barbados depends heavily on agriculture to feed their populations. The labor party has given away our lands left, right, and centre to covered the debt owed to contractors. Alongside selling off our lands they called investment to investors.

  4. Oh look Mia the dyk3 coping Antigua again. This woman is so freaking fake it ain’t even funny. Only reason she get all this praise is because she is a member of the alphabet gang. To bad the fools on here so love tear down them country they can’t see how fake this dyk3 is.

    • No one is “tearing down the country” @ Chupes; all Antiguans want is that our elected members of Parliament carry out their jobs to the best of their abilities, as promised in their manifestos.

      You may be happy with the dire state of Antigua’s lack of housing, but many citizens are not.

      WHO’S THE FOOL NOW @ CHUPES?

      • Throw a stone in a pig pen and the hit pig will squeal or is it a hit dog will holla. Nobody was talking to u but as usual u can’t see people opinions and not feel to respond. Typical behavior of members of the alphabet gang always feel the need to show off their intelligence.

        • You must know by now that I’ll always respond to anyone’s input that is not FACTUALLY correct – that’s how I roll!

          Always remember @ Chupes, try to use the right motivation for your topics.

          Never forget, a good word better than a wink to a bline horse 🐴 … NEIGHHHHH 😁

      • I could not give a rats behind about u . My opinion is my opinion and my opinion is Mia they dyk3 is always always logging off Antigua. She is such a pretentious dyk3 and only fools who love to tear down their own country can’t see how fake that dyk3 is.

        • chupes
          Talk as much sh*t as you want Time magazine vote Mia (twice) among 100 most influential persons on the planet. Mia is the only Caribbean leader the world pays attention to. No one ever heard of your boy gastro adolf. No one knows of antigua. FO moron. Keep tekkin it up where de sun dont shine poofter.

          • “… Mia (twice) among 100 most influential persons on the planet. Mia is the only Caribbean leader the world pays attention to”.

            Absolutely correct @ champ. Our own Prime Minister Browne wishes he could command the same respect.

            He had his chance in 2014, but blew it through greed and avarice. So sad!

  5. houses were built and delivered?!
    Well, at least you have plenty for that period.!
    For, we were promised 500 houses n 500 days.
    We’re still waiting to see 500 in almost 10 years, now.

  6. Why don’t we stay out of Barbados politics. We have our crap to deal with. If Mia can do it then all the power to her. I personally think it’s too ambitious but heyyyy go Barbados.

    Can’t believe that in the 21st century that we as Black People are still competing with ourselves and our neighbors. Mia girl I support you. If you fail, at least you tried. Just know that you can’t control everything and there are wicked people who want you to fail. Tell you…..Caribbean people are some of the most devious people out there who will wish you well and then stab you in the back.

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