BLP/DLP address Brighton housing development issue

The Barbados Labour Party wants government’s assurance that the housing development slated for Brighton, St. George will be for low-income earners. 
Joining the debate on the compulsory acquisition of 2.94 hectares of land at Brighton Plantation for the public purpose of housing development, Opposition MP for St. George South Dwight Sutherland charged that the Democratic Labour Party administration was no longer interested in providing homes for the working class.

“One hundred and three acres of land was placed in the hands of one investor, when we had over 19 500 applicants for houses within the National Housing Corporation (NHC)…Let’s talk about the Grotto, what started out to be an $18 million project ended up being a $27-28 million project. It was supposed to be a low-income housing project… and worse yet, you heard about units being sold for $427 000. What part of $427 000 is low-income?” he demanded. 

“That is why those housing units at the Grotto are unoccupied. I understand that there are about three people living in them. We must begin to speak truth to issues. Constant housing project for years under the DLP was dormant. Don’t let us talk about Parish Land in St. Philip, 120 lots with bush growing around them and all of this occurred under the DLP, who continues to boast about providing housing solutions, but yet we have a deplorable housing state in this country,” he added.

Earlier, in defending his party’s position on housing, Minister of Housing, Denis Kellman, told the Lower House that the NHC would be run without a deficit under his watch and that several revenue earning projects would be developed to be able to fund such developments for low-income earners.

Additionally, he stressed that there would be no apology for the provision of commercial lots.

“We are not going to apologise for having commercial lots, because if we are to enhance the lives of the masses of people especially in tight economic times, not only in Barbados but throughout the world, we must have land to make a profit on it and carry out social programmes,” he said.

Kellman insisted that there must be an economic, financial and social approach to housing, ensuring that persons were facilitated and not frustrated. (JMB)