Prime Minister Gaston Browne said Thursday that he has written to China requesting 300 additional condominium units for the Perry Bay area, seeking to expand housing assistance for poor and vulnerable residents who cannot afford mortgages.

Speaking during the handover ceremony for the Pelican Court housing development, Browne said rising construction costs had placed a decent home beyond the financial reach of many people, requiring government intervention.

The additional units are being sought from China. Browne did not announce approval of the request, a funding agreement or a construction timetable for the Perry Bay development.

“In fact, I’ve already written to China requesting an additional 300 condominium units,” he said.

Browne said the request reflected the circumstances of residents who want to own homes but lack the means to finance construction or qualify for a mortgage.

He argued that government assistance was necessary to help those households secure better living conditions, presenting the planned expansion as part of a broader approach to housing in Antigua and Barbuda.

The announcement came during the handover ceremony for Pelican Court, a Chinese grant-funded development comprising 150 two-bedroom homes in the Point community. The EC$50 million project forms part of the redevelopment of Booby Alley.

Browne described Pelican Court as a transformational investment whose purpose extended beyond constructing attractive, climate-resilient buildings to improving residents’ quality of life.

He said former residents would receive priority and that previous homeowners would be offered replacement homes through a swap arrangement without additional cost.

Some people whose former properties were valued at $20,000 or $50,000 would receive replacement homes worth $350,000, he said.

Browne placed the request for further Chinese assistance within a wider housing programme that includes social housing, affordable housing, free homes for indigent residents and concessions to assist homebuilders.

He said the government would continue intervening to help people whose individual financial circumstances prevented them from securing adequate housing.

The prime minister also argued that the administration’s performance should be assessed through social progress and improvements in living conditions, alongside economic growth.

Browne thanked China for financing Pelican Court and described it as Antigua and Barbuda’s most important development partner, pledging to continue strengthening the relationship.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Antigua and Barbuda requests 300 more Chinese-funded homes for Perry Bay.