As the April 30 general election in Antigua and Barbuda approaches, Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) St. Peter constituency candidate Rawdon Turner is showcasing progress on a key community pledge: expanding accessible homeownership opportunities for young residents. During a recent election interview with local broadcaster ABS, Turner outlined the timeline and goals of the phased housing initiative, which grew directly from feedback collected through months of door-to-door community outreach.
Turner confirmed that the first phase of the project, centered in Pares Village, is nearing final completion. Thirteen new residential units are currently under active construction, with several already at an advanced stage of development. Key structural and exterior work, including roofing, door and window installation, has already been finished on these units, putting the first batch of homes on track for handover in the near future.
Following the completion of the Pares Village phase, Turner announced plans to launch a second round of development in the Vernon neighborhood of Parham, where 21 additional purpose-built units will be constructed. All 34 total units across both phases are specifically targeted at young people and young professionals who want to move out of multi-generational family homes and build independent lives, a priority that emerged as a top concern from community consultations.
Turner emphasized that the incremental, small-cluster approach to development was deliberately chosen to address the unique constraints of the St. Peter constituency. Rather than pursuing one large-scale housing development that would require massive tracts of land, the government is utilizing smaller available parcels spread across multiple communities, allowing the project to align with both local land availability and resident demand. This method also makes it possible to deliver completed homes to beneficiaries faster than a single large project would, Turner noted.
While the candidate acknowledged that current demand for affordable youth housing still exceeds the supply that this first round of development will provide, he framed the 34 units as the critical first step in a long-term strategy to expand housing access across the constituency. The housing initiative forms a core plank of Turner’s broader re-election campaign platform, which centers on delivering tangible improvements to local infrastructure, expanding employment opportunities, and driving inclusive community development across St. Peter.