Plan for abandoned lots

Government plans to turn abandoned lots and derelict houses into sustainable housing, Senior Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr William Duguid, announced yesterday.

Speaking as Acting Prime Minister at the General Assembly of Ministers and High-Level Authorities of Housing and Urban Development of Latin America and the Caribbean, Duguid said the initiative was part of a broader strategy to leverage state-owned land assets while addressing the country’s housing and infrastructure challenges.

“Work is ongoing to look at reusing different lots and derelict houses in the urban corridor for future housing,” Duguid said. “These unregulated assets have the potential to contribute to local urban dynamics and help reduce housing and infrastructure debt issues.”

Changing climate

Duguid, who has responsibility for infrastructural projects and town planning matters, stressed that infrastructure must now respond to the realities of a changing climate.

“The infrastructure of today was built for a climate that no longer exists. We must build for the new climate that exists. It means building back better with greater emphasis on resilience in roads, infrastructure, buildings, and housing.”

The announcement came during a three-day regional conference under the theme Financing the Urban Transition, Housing, Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience. The gathering provided a platform for member states to share strategies for building resilient cities, develop policy frameworks, explore innovative financial solutions, and strengthen regional collaboration.

The minister said it was also his hope that a plan of action could be produced to promote access to affordable housing, developing policies geared towards sustainable development and enhancing the strength of the regional body.

Minister of Housing Lands and Maintenance Chris Gibbs, in his welcoming remarks, said collaboration between member states would lead to the development of policies geared towards sustainable development of infrastructure.

“These next three days will provide us with a platform to share our national experiences, explore strategies for building resilient and sustainable cities, develop new policy frameworks, discuss new and innovative financial solutions, and overall, I hope to strengthen regional collaboration.

“It is also my hope that at the end, we can agree on a workable plan of action related to promoting access to affordable housing as a human right, developing policies geared towards sustainable development and overall enhancing the strength of this regional body,” he said. (JRN)