Housing surveys progressing in Six Men’s as MP reports steady pace

St Peter MP Colin Jordan said work is “very much active” on the Six Men’s Life Improvement Project, with surveying of house spots in the coastal community progressing steadily and a sizeable portion already completed as part of the drive to secure land ownership for residents.

Jordan provided an update to Barbados TODAY on the housing project on the sidelines of the International Game Fishing Tournament press conference at Port St Charles, noting that while he could not confirm if exactly half of the spots had been settled, work is very much active.  

“I can’t say half, but a significant portion had already been surveyed,” Jordan said. “The reason why I didn’t want to say half is because the information we had was for late last year and so maybe the last couple of months I wouldn’t have known how many more had been surveyed, but we’ve been assured by the Ministry of Housing and the National Housing Corporation that the surveying is an ongoing process.”  

Officials from the National Housing Corporation (NHC) have been on the ground in the St Peter fishing village as recently as this week, Jordan revealed. 

He said: “Just this evening, coming to this event, I was told by a member of staff here at Pier One, who is a resident of Six Men’s, that there were actually persons from the National Housing Corporation in Six Men’s during this week, and they’ve been encouraging residents whose land is already being surveyed to go into the National Housing Corporation so that they can start the paperwork.”

The St Lucy MP is scheduled to meet with Minister of Housing Chris Gibbs and community figures at the end of next week to receive a definitive data update. He reiterated that the ultimate goal is to ensure every resident has clear access and legal title to their land.  

“The entire community will be surveyed,” Jordan confirmed. “I indicated that there are going to be some lots that we’re not going to work to convey until we are clear that there is access to those lots. We do not want to convey lots, and then people don’t have access to their homes.”  

Explaining the vision behind the project’s new title, Jordan credited an officer within the Ministry of Housing for the name.  

“The Ministry of Housing and the National Housing Corporation, and myself, we have titled this… the Six Men’s Life Improvement Project. And because it is going to be life improving, we have to make sure that people have access to their homes.”  

He acknowledged that the project may require minor adjustments for a small number of residents to ensure proper infrastructure.  

“We’ve already said to the residents in Six Men’s that for the few houses that may have to, there may have to be a little bit of moving, we will do all that we can to make sure that everybody has access, so that where we end up is better than where we are now. So that process will continue, and all those who’ve been contacted by the Ministry of Housing or the National Housing Corporation, I encourage them to go into the National Housing Corporation and start the process so that the legal work can be done and the conveyancing ultimately can take place.”  

When asked for specific figures regarding the number of residents who have successfully completed the legal transfer of their lots following offer letters sent in late 2025, Jordan noted that a series of national and international obligations had prevented a recent tally.  

“I am not able to say that,” Jordan said. “Because remember after the election campaign, which is when I shared a lot of this information, we went directly into Estimates, then we went directly into Budget, and then we went directly into two weeks of meetings of the governing body of the International Labour Organisation. That is the reason why, now that I’m back, we have set up a meeting with the Ministry of Housing, so that at the end of next week, I’ll be in a better position to be able to give an update as to where we are.”  

Despite the lack of immediate statistics, the St Peter MP remained confident in the momentum of the project.  

“I do know based on what residents have said to me that the work is continuing by the Ministry of Housing and the NHC, and persons from the NHC have actually been in Six Men’s in recent weeks, speaking to residents, encouraging them. I’ll have an update in terms of the number after I meet with the ministry.” 

Some 37 households had already received letters of offer, and surveys are under way to facilitate the transfer of title to all remaining eligible residents.  

Prime Minister Mia Mottley said at a political meeting that 132 qualified tenants were now moving closer to ownership, describing the initiative as a historic correction of longstanding land injustices.