ST. JOHN’S, Antigua — Government officials say more than 500 derelict properties in St. John’s have been identified as potential starting points for a new redevelopment drive, as Cabinet approved a CHAPA land exchange programme aimed at expanding affordable housing.
Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant said the initiative will allow the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHAPA) to approach owners of lots and abandoned homes and negotiate voluntary arrangements to acquire and redevelop them. “The presentation outlined a comprehensive framework that will enable the Central Housing and Planning Authority, CHAPA, to acquire privately owned lands through voluntary exchange arrangements and redevelop them into affordable homes and serviced residential lots,” Merchant said.
He said CHAPA already has an entry point in the capital after recent assessments by the Social Transformation Urban Development Ministry. “They would have identified over 500 derelict properties,” Merchant said, adding that authorities “will start by approaching the owners for these properties” to determine whether they are willing to participate through an exchange or sale and redevelopment.
Cabinet approved immediate funding to begin the programme. “Half a million dollars was immediately approved to kickstart this program,” Merchant said, noting that the housing minister was also cleared to begin implementation right away.
Under the programme, property owners may be offered multiple options, including a land swap, an outright purchase, or credits toward a CHAPA home. “Persons will sell land to CHAPA at fair, independent, appraised values,” Merchant said. He said owners may also “exchange land in return for construction credits towards a CHAPA home,” along with “some tax incentives,” including possible reductions or waivers of land transfer tax.
Merchant said the programme is designed to respond to limited availability of Crown lands for housing. “As you know, crown lands for construction of homes are very limited,” he said, describing the initiative as a way to address “this pressing issue of the constraints to housing development.”
Government officials said redevelopment will also include community elements. Merchant said the initiative provides for “10 to 15 percent of developed lands to be reserved for community infrastructure such as parks, green spaces, and vending areas.”
The plan will roll out in phases, beginning with a pilot. “The program will be conducted in three phases, with the first phase being the pilot phase where CHAPA intends to acquire 25 parcels across select constituencies,” Merchant said. He said Phase Two would involve scaling up based on “participation levels and infrastructure readiness,” with Phase Three focused on institutionalising the programme within CHAPA.
Officials have not yet identified which constituencies will be included in the pilot phase, but Merchant said the programme is intended to target communities with clear redevelopment needs, and to support families seeking housing options while remaining in their current areas.
Merchant said multiple agencies will be involved, including the Survey and Mapping Division, the Development Control Authority, the Ministry of Housing and Works, and the Ministry of Finance. He said further developments would be shared in the coming days.