Regional housing initiatives gain momentum while St. Maarten plans remain pending

GREAT BAY--Across the Caribbean, affordable housing projects and plans are moving ahead, answering the number one call of communities region-wide; more housing. In 2024 and 2025, several territories have moved toward defined sites, budgets, and unit counts.

Regional institutions have noted the context for these developments. ECLAC projects about 2.2 percent growth in 2025, while the World Bank points to low investment and high debt as factors affecting mortgage access and pushing households into overcrowded or informal housing. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has recommended reforms in land policy, titling, and long-term finance, and has documented both the quantity and quality gaps in existing housing.

In St. Maarten, the housing issue appears frequently in political discussions, but no new public social or affordable housing projects have been implemented in recent years. Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs has mentioned work on a housing program or policy, but no specific project timelines or procurement steps have been made public.

In February 2025, Gumbs said affordable housing should be a priority and called for re-establishing the Mortgage Guarantee Fund to make homeownership more accessible. He noted that closing fees are often the first barrier to homeownership, sometimes equaling tens of thousands of dollars. Gumbs also said government initiatives should address housing needs across all income levels and that development should include spaces where all residents feel part of the community.

The last known housing project for St. Maarten was a Trust Fund initiative that was removed from the Trust Fund budget about two years ago due to the government not fulfilling certain requirements. These included, but were not limited to, the transfer of land and the signing of a new agreement with the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation, both of which were prerequisites for the project to become effective. It was valued at 20 million USD. It would have delieverd between 88 and 100 apartments with universal design features and improved management systems for the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation.

Since that project was scrapped, and others by the former Minister of VROMI derailed, there has been no plans announced for housing.  

Several countries have announced or advanced projects. Jamaica’s New Social Housing Program has expanded with a component for tourism workers and is reviewing options to provide land for beneficiaries without buildable plots. Montserrat’s Drummonds project combines housing with roads and utilities. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, the 340 North project on St. Thomas is planned to provide 80 hurricane-resilient, energy-efficient homes, with the first phase consisting of townhouses.

In Aruba, the former government had announced financing for social housing, the Residencia Blenchi seniors complex opened in May 2024, and student housing projects have been publicized. In Curaçao, Fundashon Kas Popular is advancing the Mi Kas Awor program and developments such as Montaña Abou, which will include 71 apartments and nine senior homes.

𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐬: Government recommitted in the 2024–25 Budget to accelerate the HOPE program toward 10,000 homes in five years, with additional NHC projects and recent openings like River Crescent, St Philip.

𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐠𝐨: HDC continues allocations and new development work through 2024–25, including Trestrail and other sites, with ongoing handovers.

𝐁𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐬: Ministry of Housing acquiring roughly 100 parcels for affordable homes and outlining new subdivisions and models in 2025. Earlier 2024 reporting flagged 200 new affordable homes.

𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜: The “Familia Feliz” national housing plan continues to roll out social homes with multilateral backing and ongoing project calls.

𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞: Government delivering starter homes and growing the national “Low-Income Starter Houses” program, with 800 units reported delivered by early 2025.

𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐚: Government committed CIP revenue to launch affordable housing projects, with sites and program framing announced in 2024 and more builds signaled for 2025.

𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐚: Key handovers at the Chinese-funded low-income housing sites, including Corinth, moving to allocations in 2024–25.

𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐮𝐝𝐚: National Housing and CHAPA completing and planning new builds, with late-2024 keys delivered and Belmont project set to start in 2025. Cabinet also green-lit 100 new homes in Belmont.

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