The government of Antigua and Barbuda is set to adopt Chinese-manufactured cement boards and steel frames as the core building materials for all future projects under its flagship affordable housing scheme, the HAPI Homes programme, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has confirmed.
Browne made this public announcement during a recent appearance on the popular *Browne and Browne Show* broadcast on Pointe FM, where he detailed the administration’s ongoing work to deliver safe, dignified housing to low-income and disadvantaged households across the twin-island nation.
According to Browne, Housing and Works Minister Rawdon Turner undertook an official visit to China last month, during which his delegation vetted multiple manufacturing facilities and ultimately secured a reliable supply source for the prefabricated steel frame and cement board building systems. “Moving forward, all new HAPI Homes will be built using cement board paired with steel framing,” Browne stated in his address, adding that the government expects the first shipment of these imported building systems to arrive in the country in the near term.
The prime minister emphasized that the switch to these materials represents a major upgrade in construction quality, noting that the new structures will boast far greater durability and longevity than the units currently being built under the programme.
The announcement came amid discussions of a flagship new housing project completed for a vulnerable large family: an 8-bedroom, 4-bathroom residence built to accommodate 29 extended family members who previously shared grossly inadequate, dilapidated housing. Browne confirmed that the government will also provide full furnishings for the new home, addressing the family’s long-standing unmet need for safe living space.
Officials first learned of the family’s desperate living conditions during local election campaigning, after which the administration fast-tracked approval for the custom large-scale residence to resolve their housing crisis. Browne publicly commended both Minister Rawdon Turner and Health Minister Michael Joseph for their collaborative efforts to move the project from planning to completion ahead of schedule.
The HAPI Homes initiative was created to support low-income and vulnerable Antigua and Barbuda residents through free or subsidized home construction and repair services. The programme traces its origins back to community work led by police Inspector Frankie Thomas, widely known by his nickname “Raggy,” which received early backing from King’s Casino before the government took over the initiative and expanded it to serve thousands more households across the country.