Govt speeds up rent payments ‘to regain landlords’ trust’

The government is continuing efforts to address delays in rent payments to landlords participating in its housing initiative, Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Kirk Humphrey has revealed.

Humphrey told Barbados TODAY: “I think we pay a lot faster than we’ve paid before, surely. Without doubt we pay a lot faster than we’ve paid before. But are we still paying as fast as they would like? Not in all cases, you know.”

The move comes after an apparent loss of trust in the government’s ability to make timely payments post-2010 when previously prompt payments from the Welfare Department began to falter.

To alleviate concerns, the government has introduced a system of paying three to four months’ rent upfront. “The idea of giving three or four months’ rent upfront is to give the government time to catch up and to make sure that people don’t fall behind,” Humphrey explained.

Data shows a decline in new applications for rent assistance, from 1 250 in 2021 to 1 009 in 2023. Despite this trend, the minister acknowledged that there is still room for improvement in payment times.

Humphrey also addressed landlords’ reluctance to participate in the scheme due to concerns about potential tenants. “People are saying, look who you want to put into my house. This person is probably going to have a lot of children. This person is going to destroy my property,” he noted.

To mitigate these issues, the ministry has been engaging with landlords and clients. Humphrey said: “A lot of what we’ve had to do is have meetings with landlords and try to allow that. In some cases, there have been some damages to houses. And so to work with our clients and to say to them when you move into the people’s houses, they have to respect the people’s houses and to respect the people’s property.”

The minister praised the performance of the Resilience and Reintegration Unit, established to respond to emergencies that displace families. “The response has been brilliant,” he stated, citing improved speed and efficiency in handling incidents such as the fire in Combermere Street.

While expressing satisfaction with the ministry’s efforts, Humphrey appealed for patience from both the public and landlords. “I can only ask; continue to ask the public for patience. I would have to ask the landlords where we’ve let them down, not only for patience, but to know that they will be properly taken care of in the shortest possible time,” he said. (RG)