By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News |
Member of Parliament Sherod Duncan of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has sharply criticised the government’s housing programme, arguing that it has deteriorated into a “land distribution lottery” rather than a functional system that delivers homes to citizens.
Duncan’s comments followed the Minister of Housing’s recent year-end presentation, which outlined allocations made over the past five years. While acknowledging that tens of thousands of house lots were distributed, the opposition MP said the figures reveal deep structural failures in the housing sector.
“An allocation is a debt and not an asset until you have your keys in hand,” Duncan said, underscoring his view that land alone does not equate to meaningful housing security.
According to Duncan, approximately 53,000 house lots were allocated during the period under review, yet only about 25,000 land titles were issued. This, he said, means that more than half of those who received allocations remain unable to access financing from banks or other lending institutions to begin construction.
He described the situation as an indictment of the government’s performance, noting that without titles, beneficiaries are effectively locked out of the formal housing market.
“After five years and many promises, this should not be the case,” Duncan argued. “The government has handed out paper but withheld the power for people to build.”
The APNU MP further pointed out that despite the large number of allocations, only about 4,000 homes were actually constructed during that period. He described this outcome as a “treadmill of failure,” adding that the backlog of housing applicants is now larger than when the current administration assumed office.
“The line is longer today for applicants than when the government took over,” he said. “Let that sink in. That is not success.”
Duncan believes the housing crisis has worsened due to insufficient government support and the absence of a comprehensive programme focused on delivering completed homes rather than simply distributing land.
He urged the administration to rethink its housing strategy and to measure success by tangible outcomes.
“Housing policy must be measured by outcomes—by keys in hand—not by letters in files,” Duncan stressed.
