Housing debate sparks heated Senate clash

A fiery Senate debate erupted on the eve of the 58th Independence Day as government and opposition senators locked horns over housing policies, concerns about food security, economic priorities, and the plight of struggling communities.

The debate centred around a government resolution to vest land at Holder’s Hill, St James, previously used for agricultural purposes, into the National Housing Corporation (NHC) for housing development.

Opposition Senator Ryan Walters highlighted the risks to food security posed by converting agricultural land into housing.
“Bajans, I think, are concerned about the level of food security in the country,” he said.

“We are currently in a crisis of high imports of food and vegetable produce, scarcity of that produce, and the high cost of that produce.”

“The government owes the people of Barbados the assurance by explaining and showing how agricultural production is safe in Barbados — straightforward, very simple indeed.”

The government’s plan to build 10 000 homes by 2027 was another contentious point, with the opposition lawmaker dismissing the target as unrealistic and overly ambitious.

“They have built less than 500 new homes in this country – new homes meaning homes that had not existed and that represent a new opportunity for Bajans to live in,” he said.

“There are around 421 new homes built by the public sector, which represents at least an average of 70 a year. This is not ambitious—it is nonsensical.”

In response, Senator Chad Blackmandefended the government’s progress, emphasising the unprecedented challenges it faced. He compared the opposition Democratic Labour Party’s record with that of the current administration.

“If my math serves me correctly, that’s 140 houses a year in 10 years where there was no COVID-19,” he noted. “Even if we accept the opposition’s figure of 70 houses per year, consider what this government has faced a near economic collapse in 2018, an IMF stabilisation programme, and then the worst global pandemic in over a century.”

The HOPE Housing Project, established to accelerate housing development, also came under fire from Senator Walters, who questioned its financial accountability.

“HOPE is a private company,” he said.

“Since November 2022, when HOPE was formed, we have no idea how that money has been spent. Unless the members of the government can stand and identify how the money has been spent, they are raising a futility.”

Senator Blackman rebutted, asserting that the government’s spending is subject to strict oversight. “To suggest that the government is not accounting for its resources is a gross untruth,” he said.

Senator Walters also criticised thegovernment’s decision to rely on imported prefabricated homes, arguing that it disenfranchised local contractors and artisans.

Senator Blackman countered that smaller contractors were being engaged as part of the housing strategy.
“We have to build at scale and pace, but we are ensuring smaller contractors have opportunities to contribute and grow,” he argued.

Senator Walters was also critical of the state of existing housing estates, accusing the government of neglect.

“I have received numerous calls and complaints from residents in these estates as it relates to the maintenance of the estates—doors dropping off, windows dropping out, leaking on roofs, leaking in front houses,” the opposition lawmaker claimed. (RG)