Walters: Where has the HOPE money gone?

Opposition Senator Ryan Walters lashed government on its silence regarding investigations into the controversial HOPE project for which he says there has been zero accountability for the $60 million in taxpayers’ money pumped into the housing initiative.

Walters, who led the Opposition Democratic Labour Party (DLP) response in the Upper Chamber on Friday, slammed the administration during debate on a resolution to vest state lands at Bullens, Holders Hill, St James for housing purposes.

“For the last four years of the operation, Barbadians are at a loss as to what is happening at the entity called HOPE [Home Ownership Providing Energy]. There have been no financial reports. There have been no briefings on the use of the money. . . . $60 million have been allocated from the Housing Credit Fund and placed at the feet, at the mercy of HOPE. What do they have to show for it?” the Opposition representative queried.

According to the Senator: “Plans to construct new homes at different places across the island; but we are not sure of the record of HOPE specifically over the last four years. $60 million plus later of taxpayers’ money that has gone unaccounted for by this government.

“We don’t know how much has gone into administrative efforts to pay a chairman, to pay a CEO, to pay a consultant, to pay a management team. . . We do not know what the current management structure is, based on the numerous resignations of chairmen and CEOs of that entity. So, Barbadians are at a loss on the financial standing of HOPE, and where the $60 million that has been entrusted in that entity has gone.”

Furthermore, the Senator who was defeated in the St Michael North West constituency in the last election, accused the administration of not providing the resources needed by the National Housing Corporation (NHC) to undertake its work at the various state-owned rental housing projects across the country.

“Why are you taking responsibility for the National Housing Corporation to use taxpayers’ money to identify opportunities or areas to oversee construction of homes and oversee private-public partnerships that the NHC is accustomed to doing in the past” he challenged.

In addition, Walters was also highly critical of government’s treatment of small contractors, suggesting that they were being given minimal roles while bigger players were receiving the choice contracts.

“Whether it sounds good or whether there may be a place to transition into technology, etc., we cannot do it at the expense of leaving our artisans and small contractors behind. . . . Rather than allowing our small contractors to get busy coming out of a very difficult time for the country and for them [following Hurricane Elsa], not earning, to build some homes or to help rebuild Barbados, the decision was taken to import steel frame houses and reduce small contractors to building foundations and constructing sites, assembling,” he told the Senate.

“You know the project originally costing the government $29 million and moved up by $24 million three years later with 51 percent [of the houses] complete? And disenfranchising small contractors and artisans at the same time?” referencing the steel houses projects.

Walters accused the administration of making unrealistic promises to Barbadians regarding the provision of housing.

“There is nothing that should merit any proposal to Barbados that you can construct . . . and provide 10,000 new homes for families in this country.”

As he tried to defend the former administration’s record in the provision of housing, he cited projects at Marchfield and Workhall, St. Philip; French Village, Four Hill, the River and Arleigh, St Peter; The Grotto, Country Park Towers, Valerie, St Michael and Constant, St George. (IMC1)