A mounting housing affordability crisis on Belize’s popular islands has triggered forceful demands for government intervention, with political figures and residents decrying systemic neglect and inequitable policies. Gabriel Zetina, UDP caretaker for Belize Rural South, has issued an urgent call for rental market regulation in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, warning that skyrocketing costs are displacing the essential workforce that sustains the tourism-dependent community.
At a recent press conference, Zetina proposed legislative measures including a draft property or rent act to establish fee controls. “We need to create a bill to regulate rent fees,” Zetina stated. “It has to be done. This isn’t just my initiative but should be a collective government effort.”
The housing concerns extend beyond rental prices to fundamental issues of land distribution. Zetina and former area representative Manuel Heredia highlighted cases where long-term leaseholders discovered their lands had been quietly titled to others through politically connected channels. Heredia criticized current practices, contrasting them with his tenure: “In my days, it did not matter if you were UDP or PUP—it went by merit. Now land is being distributed to specially connected people.”
Parallel frustrations emerged from neighboring Caye Caulker, where resident Samira Martinez accused local leadership of prolonged neglect. Martinez demanded improved engagement from area representatives, stronger police presence, and youth programming to address deteriorating safety conditions. “Caye Caulker used to be a safe haven,” Martinez lamented. “This generation will never know the peace we had. We need permanently stationed police officers and activities to engage youth.”
The collective outcry underscores deepening social tensions in Belize’s island communities, where tourism-driven economic growth has exacerbated inequality and strained public resources, prompting calls for comprehensive policy reform and greater governmental accountability.