During a Tuesday sitting of Barbados’ House of Assembly, Deputy Speaker Neil Rowe delivered a impassioned plea on behalf of long-term tenants of state-owned National Housing Corporation (NHC) accommodations, calling for fairer treatment as the body considers a historic bill that would transfer property titles to decades-long occupants.
Rowe, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for St. Michael North West, threw his full support behind the State Acquisition and Vesting of Property Number 2 Bill — legislation that would grant full home ownership to 224 tenants who have occupied NHC-constructed units for extended periods. But while he hailed the bill as a transformative step for working families, he did not hold back criticism of the NHC’s longstanding failure to maintain properties in his constituency, even as tenants continue to fulfill their monthly rent obligations.
“For many of my constituents, this bill is life-changing,” Rowe told the chamber. He shared that multiple households in his district have resided in their NHC terrace homes for 20, 25, even 30 years, turning these government-built units into deeply rooted community spaces. “Within those walls they raised children, cared for their elderly parents, celebrated birthdays, mourned loved ones and built strong communities. These are not merely buildings, they are homes,” he emphasized.
The deputy speaker went on to outline the daily frustrations faced by his constituents, saying he feels profound distress that long-time tenants are still paying rent decades after moving in, yet cannot get even basic repair work completed. When residents reach out to the NHC’s central depot to request fixes for broken windows, damaged doors or leaking roofs, they are routinely turned away with the excuse that no funding is available for repair materials or labor.
Rowe’s criticism extended to questions about financial accountability at the state-owned housing agency. “My question to the general manager and the management at the National Housing Corporation [is]: what is the National Housing Corporation doing with the rent that is being collected by tenants living in these units for more than 20 years, but still paying rent to the corporation?” he asked. He also called for transparency around how taxpayer funding allocated to the NHC is being used, noting that the problems affect hundreds of residents across four communities: Rosemont, Fernihurst, Deacon’s Farm and Golden Acre.
Calling the ongoing situation a profound injustice, Rowe said constituents face an uphill battle every time they request basic upkeep, despite decades of consistent rent payments. “I take serious offense to things like this. I think it is a great injustice being done to my constituents that they are still paying rent to the corporation, but when it comes to maintenance and getting things done, it is very challenging, and sometimes seems like an uphill battle,” he said.
In response to Rowe’s concerns, Minister of Housing Christopher Gibbs acknowledged that the NHC has fallen short on both customer service and maintenance response times. He committed to institutional changes to address the gaps, announcing plans to launch a dedicated rapid response maintenance unit within the Ministry of Housing, paired with a modernized web-based customer service portal that will let tenants submit and track repair requests far more efficiently.
“We are going to be erecting a rapid response unit within the ministry,” Gibbs said. “We are going to tie that to an upgraded customer service platform that will be web-based…. The truth is we have to get with the times and upgrade our customer service so that our tenants and clients live in dignity.” The new unit, he added, will formalize tenants’ right to a timely and appropriate resolution whenever maintenance issues arise, bringing an end to long wait times and unaddressed requests.