On Thursday, during an official handover ceremony marking the transfer of the 150-unit Pelican Court housing development from China to the government of Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Gaston Browne unveiled two distinct, resident-focused housing arrangements that prioritize the needs of people displaced from the site’s former Booby Alley settlement. The large-scale redevelopment project, which transformed a 3-acre plot in St. John’s City West once dotted with roughly 130 decaying, substandard small homes, is designed as an inclusive upgrade rather than a displacement-driven gentrification effort, the prime minister emphasized.
Under the first and most generous scheme, former residents who both owned and lived in their original Booby Alley properties will receive brand-new replacement condominiums valued at an estimated $350,000, with no additional out-of-pocket costs required to cover the gap in value between their old homes and the new units. Browne noted that many of the original properties on the site were only valued between $20,000 and $50,000, meaning qualifying residents are receiving a substantial upgrade at no extra cost. For other eligible former occupants who do not qualify for full replacement units, the government will offer subsidized mortgages capped at approximately $150,000—less than half the market value of the new condominiums—with flexible repayment terms structured to align with borrowers’ individual ability to pay.
Browne explained that targeted government intervention was critical to making this new housing accessible, pointing out that rising construction costs have pushed decent, quality housing out of reach for many working families across the country, while dozens of former Booby Alley residents lacked the financial means to secure a traditional market-rate mortgage. He framed the Pelican Court project as a core part of a broader national strategy to lift living standards for Antigua and Barbuda citizens and help working families build intergenerational wealth that can benefit their children and grandchildren. To protect this long-term public investment, Browne stressed that new homeowners will need to commit to proper maintenance of the development, which will require a monthly condominium maintenance fee. While a final figure has not been formalized, the prime minister suggested a $50 monthly contribution as a potential benchmark, adding that a facility manager has already been appointed to oversee upkeep, waste management, and enforcement of community rules.
Though the formal handover to the Antigua and Barbuda government is complete, displaced residents will not be able to move into their new units immediately. Browne confirmed that outstanding infrastructure work is still ongoing: landscaping across the development has not been finished, and the Antigua Public Utilities Authority has yet to install necessary utility meters. The administrative allocation process, which prioritizes former Booby Alley residents for housing placement, has already launched, and the prime minister said he expects the transition of residents into their new homes to be completed by January. No additional details on mortgage interest rates, repayment timelines, or full eligibility criteria for subsidized mortgages were released during Browne’s remarks at the ceremony.