The Government plans to construct three hundred homes on the island of Abaco, within the next year, to assist in addressing the housing shortage post Hurricane Dorian. The Minister of Transport and Housing, the Hon. Jobeth Coleby-Davis told reporters, “right now we are doing about thirty homes. The first PPP that we had engaged they already started the first ten of the homes. We were able to issue assignment letters for two of those ten and we’re getting ready to start the other eighteen lots. So that’s in the Central Pines area.”
Infrastructural work is also underway for new homes planned for Spring City, Abaco. Minister Coleby-Davis said, “we are seeking to start construction on that as soon as the infrastructure is done.” The Minister also spoke of the Pine Tree project which she foreshadowed in her contribution to the 2022-23 budget debate. She said the land is under review to determine availability for home construction.
These housing projects are being developed through a public private partnership which means the contractor is carrying the cost of construction. According to the minister the government is making sure that the homes are affordable. She said, “the purchase are mortgaged by Mortgage Corp. or whichever financial institute they choose and that show they make their payment. We just try to make sure that it is within the realms of between $120K to a little over $170K. we try to keep it in a good price per home.”