Guyana and Barbados implement new strategies to address housing shortages

Guyana’s national housing programme reported significant progress in the first half of 2026. According to the Ministry of Finance’s Mid-Year Report, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) allocated 3,245 house lots during this period. This brings the total number of lots delivered since 2020 to over 50,000, exceeding previous government targets. The allocations focused on national expansion, including significant developments in Wismar and Bartica.

The programme has prioritized women and low-income households. Approximately 47.7 percent of the recent allocations went to women, and 1,930 women received entrepreneurial training. Furthermore, 65 percent of the allocations were directed toward low- and moderate-income families.

In Barbados, the government is exploring ways to address a chronic shortage of affordable homes by targeting vacant lots and derelict properties. Minister of Housing, Lands and Maintenance Chris Gibbs noted that an Inter-American Development Bank study suggests there may be roughly 15,000 such properties across the island. The government is considering legal mechanisms, such as compulsory acquisition or abandonment clauses, to rehabilitate these sites. Utilizing existing infrastructure in derelict areas is viewed as a more cost-effective alternative to developing new greenfield sites, as the government seeks to reduce a backlog of 8,000 to 10,000 applications at the National Housing Corporation.