Opposition senator renews criticism of govt housing programme amid audit concerns

Opposition Senator Ryan Walters has accused the Government of mismanaging its flagship housing initiative, claiming that a damning Auditor General’s report on HOPE Inc has “cast a grey cloud” over the credibility of its home ownership programme.

Sen Walters was speaking in Wednesday’s Senate debate on legislation aimed at clearing a legal obstacle that has delayed the completion of 20 low-income homes in Christ Church. The delay stems from an error in a 2022 resolution that failed to name the National Housing Corporation as the vesting authority for the land.  

While acknowledging the need to correct the legislative oversight, Walters said the issue highlighted deeper and more troubling weaknesses in the Government’s overall approach to housing delivery. Central to his concerns, he said, was the damning assessment contained in the Auditor General’s report, Special Audit on the Building Programmes of HOPE, published in April 2025.  

Quoting from the report, Sen Walters told senators that the HOPE programme lacked “clear objectives or clear milestones” and failed to establish key performance indicators from the outset. He noted that some $64.5 million in public funds had been committed to enable low-income earners to access home ownership, yet the State was exposed to legal claims after proceeding with transactions it had no authority to undertake.  

“In some cases there was no clear title,” Walters said, adding that this created the risk of compensation claims against the government.  

He further highlighted findings that management decisions at HOPE Inc had imposed additional financial burdens on taxpayers. According to the Auditor General, an estimated $37.8m in extra costs was incurred due to the decision to use precast construction rather than traditional block methods.  

Walters said that even without delving into the specifics of developments such as Sergeant’s Village — including the type of construction used or the size and selection of contractors — public confidence in HOPE Inc remains uneasy.  

“The fact remains that HOPE Inc continues to be questionable in the minds of the people of this country,” he said, maintaining that taxpayers were still seeking answers.  

The senator also criticised the programme’s renewable energy component, noting that while the government had promised solar or other renewable solutions for nearly every home, the Auditor General found that only two houses were actually fitted with such systems.  

He raised further alarm over a housing arrangement involving Guyana, where the National Housing Corporation reportedly transferred $3.5m for the construction of about 60 hardwood homes. Sen Walters said the Auditor General found that no performance bond was in place and that the selected supplier lacked the necessary experience, exposing public finances to significant risk.  

When the homes arrived in Barbados for assembly, Sen Walters said key components were missing, rendering the units incomplete. The Auditor General estimated an additional cost of $125 000 per home to make them habitable — a figure that could amount to $43.7m if the project continues.  

“The record of this government in housing is nothing to be proud of,” Sen Walters said.  

Read the full Special Audit on the Building Programmes of HOPE:

https://www.barbadosparliament.com/uploads/document/f9454cc7c12200ba103d03d5f9ec09dc.pdf