State to transfer 224 more homes to long-term tenants

A new bill before Parliament will hand ownership of 224 state-built houses to long-term tenants, pushing the total transferred in three months to 428 and accelerating a programme designed to convert decades of renting into outright ownership.

The State Acquisition and Vesting of Property Number 2 Bill, passed in the House of Assembly on Tuesday, represents the second phase of a national housing programme aimed at converting long-term tenancy into permanent ownership for hundreds of families across the country.

The homes are located in Eden Lodge, Haynesville, Silver Hill, Deacons Farm, Bonnetts, Grazettes and Wotton. For areas such as Eden Lodge, residents will receive titles for the first time under this initiative, Gibbs said.

The bill provides for the transfer of titles for 224 homes across several housing estates directly to residents who have occupied them for decades. It follows a previous round three months ago in which 204 homes were vested, bringing the total to 428 properties transferred within a single quarter.

Minister of Housing Chris Gibbs framed the measure as a direct route to social equity and the creation of intergenerational wealth. He said the Government is using constitutional provisions to acquire the properties in the public interest and vest them in qualified residents, avoiding administrative delays that slowed earlier efforts.

“Today, we continue that journey,” Gibbs declared in the House. “This bill represents the second major tranche of homes, 224 to be exact, spanning estates all over this country. This reaffirms the government’s unwavering commitment to place property ownership into the hands of ordinary Barbadians. Because of this government, housing policy does not end when we build a house. Housing policy is complete when a family owns its home.”

He contrasted the pace of the current programme with earlier efforts under the 2013 Tenanties Transfer of Terraced Units Act, pointing out that between 2013 and 2025 only 597 homes were transferred because of legal and administrative challenges. The current initiative has nearly matched that figure in a much shorter period.

“In three months, we’ve reduced that total. This administration, this government is about innovative ways to further our agenda to help people, to empower people in this country. We’ve found ways to empower people, and this is but another way to do so, simple but transformational.”

Addressing concerns about infrastructure, Gibbs told the House that community interests would be protected under the legislation. The law preserves public access, safeguards utility corridors and easements, and maintains the residential character and rights of neighbouring properties.

The National Housing Corporation would also support new homeowners as they transition from tenants to owners, including guidance on property maintenance and insurance, he added.

Gibbs thanked public officers at the Land Registry, the Land and Surveys Department, and the National Housing Corporation for their work in verifying and processing the titles. He said the Government is prepared to bring a third phase if necessary to reach all eligible residents.

“Every title we transfer is another Barbadian family moving from tenancy to ownership, from uncertainty to security, from shelter to wealth,” Gibbs said. “Governments are remembered for the buildings that they construct, but the truly transformative governments are remembered for the assets that they place in the hands of their people.”

(RR)