The government is fast-tracking its plans to transform thousands of derelict buildings and vacant lots into new housing schemes in the new year, Minister of Housing and Lands Dwight Sutherland has revealed to Barbados TODAY.
The initiative aims to convert at least 25 000 idle properties into much-needed housing solutions, potentially easing the backlog of 18 000 applications at the National Housing Corporation.
Sutherland acknowledged there were delays in rolling out the programme but insisted that in a matter of months, it would come on stream.
“We have across the country a lot of land owned by various plantations that are within the state. We believe these are the areas, the vacant lots, that we can look at because we have services there already and we do not have to put in for infrastructure costs. [We want to] utilise these lots to build houses,” he said, adding that a paper on the plan would soon be brought before Cabinet.
Sutherland first announced the derelict buildings and vacant lot transformation project in August 2023. Back then, he said there were well over 25 000 derelict and vacant lots island-wide and a new state-run enterprise would be established to transform the derelict properties into housing solutions.
He noted that this would be a major game-changer in housing as there were more than 18 000 applications before the National Housing Corporation.
The minister also said then that this project would include public derelict properties as well as private ones, adding that a $700 000 grant from the Inter-American Development Bank would be utilised to kick-start the programme.
Sutherland vowed the project would gain traction soon: “We are bringing on someone; I don’t want to pre-empt Cabinet to say who the person is, but we are soon to go to Cabinet. There would be a paper to bring on someone who will champion the derelict and vacant lot project . . . . So it is live, it is on the cards.”
Asked about the delays, the minister said: “In all fairness, we had so many low-hanging fruits we had to address like getting the East-West project on track [and] addressing HOPE…. Now we are back to the derelict and vacant lot project. So, you
should see some action there in 2025.”
Sutherland added that the derelict buildings and vacant lots programme will start in the urban corridor first and work in tandem with the plans to transform communities in Mason Hall Street and Green Fields in The City.
He also noted that more people will be moved in the Rock Hall relocation project in St Philip in the new year.
sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb
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