There is a call for a better system to be put in place to deal with the allocation of housing solutions by Government.
It has come from Opposition Member of Parliament and attorney-at-law, Kerrie Symmonds. Speaking in the House of Assembly yesterday morning during the debate on the Crown Lands (Vesting and Disposal) Act Cap 225 to approve the vesting in National Housing Corporation of land at Arch Hall, St. Thomas for residential purposes, he contended that the allocation process has to become less political.
“It is a bad thing for people to feel that their only hope for getting a house is to do so by holding on to the apron strings of a politician. Persons have been abused by believing that they are on a list and a politician gives them a promise and then 15 years, 20 years [they’re still waiting]. I told the House the last time I spoke on this matter…of an individual I came across who was on a list for 34 years,” he said.
Symmonds contended that it is not a failure of the Barbados Labour Party or the Democratic Labour Party, but instead argued it reflects a failure of the system that is being used.
As such, he said the system has to be improved and made more transparent.
“We did what we thought was a very transparent allocation process, but I know that that allocation process is not replicated all around Barbados. I also know that one of the issues facing homeowners or potential homeowners in Barbados. The Minister spoke about Lancaster, which is just down the road from my constituency, and again I know… a handful of houses, perhaps 30 or so, were made available. Part of the challenge was allocation because you had people from all around Barbados expressing an interest in one of the 30 houses in Lancaster. At one point when I checked there were 30-odd houses and 900 applicants,” the St. James Central Member of Parliament stated.
The attorney made the point while admitting that the demand will always outstrip the supply in respect of housing, but he noted that Barbados should do like other countries and remove the politicians from the process.
“Where once you have a greater demand than you have availability it opens a Pandora’s Box for potential corruption or charges of corruption; it opens a Pandora’s box for charges of cronyism. I gine make sure you get a house because you are X, Y, Z to me; or you performed X, Y, Z role in my campaign, or play X,Y, Z role in my constituency, it is something we have to get past and I think ma’am that a word to the wise on this matter is sufficient,” he contended. (JRT)