Minister Fernandez Addresses Housing Shortages For Locals As More Properties Go on Airbnb

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Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Tourism, Foreign Affairs and Immigration, the Honorable Charles Fernandez during his feature address to graduates.

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The rapid growth of Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism industry has led to a surge in short-term rental properties, raising concerns about housing availability for local residents.

Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Transportation, and Investment, Charles Fernandez, has acknowledged the challenges posed by the increasing demand for vacation rentals and its effect on long-term housing options.

“Tourism is a vital pillar of our economy, but we must ensure that growth does not come at the expense of our citizens’ ability to find affordable housing,” Fernandez stated.

  • Increased Demand for Rentals – With more tourists seeking vacation stays, landlords are opting for short-term leases, reducing availability for locals.
  • Rising Rental Costs – The shift to lucrative short-term rentals has driven up rental prices, making it more difficult for residents to secure housing.
  • Regulatory Considerations – Discussions are underway regarding potential policies to balance the needs of both the tourism industry and local communities.
  • Economic Benefits vs. Housing Strain – While short-term rentals contribute significantly to the economy, concerns remain about their long-term impact on residential stability.

Minister Fernandez emphasized that the government is exploring strategies to mitigate housing challenges while supporting the tourism sector. Possible measures include introducing zoning regulations, rental caps, and incentives for property owners to maintain long-term rental availability.

“We recognize the importance of tourism-driven revenue, but our priority remains ensuring that our people have access to affordable and stable housing,” Fernandez added.

As Antigua and Barbuda continue to experience record-breaking visitor arrivals, stakeholders are calling for a balanced approach to sustain economic growth while protecting the interests of local residents.

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7 COMMENTS

  1. The fact that Charles ‘Max’ Fernández is standing behind a Sandals podium to obviously address a selective type of audience, suggests one of two things:

    1) Is he trying to protect the “enriching” interests of the conglomerate hotel sector that companies like Sandals lobbied for, or 2), is Fernández really concerned that home owning Antiguans can rightly eat into the corporate hoteliers profits through the likes of Airbnb and other types of short-term rental?

    I thoroughly enjoy being RECUSANT, and giving alternative viewpoints to the normal status quo of possible government self interests and protectionism.

    BRIXTONIAN BETTER THAN EVER … ✊🏾

  2. simply identifying the problem isn’t enough—there needs to be swift action, such as regulations on short-term rentals or incentives for affordable housing. Otherwise, locals will continue to struggle with rising costs while investors profit.

  3. The rise of short-term rentals can drive up prices and make it harder for locals to find affordable housing. However, while discussions are a step in the right direction, concrete policies and regulations are needed to strike a balance between tourism growth and the needs of citizens.

  4. so John and Mary from the USA are renting air BNB in cedar grove thus displacing locals from renting?

    Investors profiting. These are local Antiguans & Barbudans who have worked purchased houses and re looking for invest in tourism . How much profits do you think the man with one house on rental is creating? I am sure a great many of those profits are being invested back to maintain the property. Paint, hardware , maintenance. Cleaning service. Property Tax….. So god help the person who owns a property that they might actually reap a reward from their investment in tourism business.

  5. God help Antigua when qualified persons such as nurses and teachers start to migrate to other countries where they can find affordable housing. After you make your profits in rentals what are you going to do when no one is left to tend to you when you’re sick or teach your children anything useful? Imagine in some islands EC$1000 can pay for a 2/3 bd brick house but in Antigua people almost want to charge that for one room in someone else’s home. So, should persons stay in Antigua, living like a pauper or try to go abroad and do exactly the same work for a more comfortable life? No one is trying to stop entrepreneurs from making money, but there must be a balance…

  6. Affordable housing should mean ownership with sufficient tax exemptions from building materials to property taxes to allow that person to afford the mortgage. Rental properties can be created by the government to provide temporary housing with clear limitations on lengths of stay until a person can qualify for their own home. Let the people who invest in a secondary property earn that return on investment. Especially a local person. Pressure from the hotels can cause our politicians to fall for their monopolistic approach to wealth. Entrepreneurship should not be crushed or penalized for the benefit of a few.

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