A new housing development built with Chinese funding has officially been transferred to the government of Antigua and Barbuda, but the resettlement process for displaced residents from Booby Alley is taking an unexpected turn. A number of former residents who were temporarily relocated after leaving the original Booby Alley neighborhood have informed the official resettlement oversight committee that they have no intention of moving into the newly completed Pelican Court development, opting instead to remain in their current temporary relocation accommodations.
Maurice Merchant, the Director General of Communications, confirmed the development during a post-Cabinet press briefing held on Friday. He noted that the committee is preparing to evaluate compensation packages for these residents, who previously held legal ownership of properties in the original Booby Alley area. Merchant did not disclose the exact number of residents that have declined the new housing allocation, nor did he provide details on the methodology that will be used to calculate the final compensation amounts.
According to Merchant, the resettlement committee has already compiled complete records of historical property ownership in Booby Alley, and is currently holding one-on-one consultations with eligible residents as part of a formal, structured housing allocation process. The national Cabinet has already signed off on a formal resettlement and allocation policy that covers all eligible groups, including former property owners, long-term tenants, and other qualified former residents of the area. This framework accounts for each applicant’s previous ownership status, current living conditions, and eligibility criteria for replacement housing when determining outcomes.
Merchant added that the move-in process for Pelican Court will be rolled out in sequential phases, and once the process launches, it is projected to be fully completed within a four-week window. Officials are still finalizing the total number of residents that will ultimately move into the development, but preliminary projections indicate that a number of vacant units will remain after all qualifying former Booby Alley residents have been placed.
These remaining unallocated units will be prioritized for vulnerable housing applicants across the country, including individuals who do not meet the standard eligibility requirements for a traditional mortgage, Merchant explained. The $X Chinese-funded Pelican Court housing project was formally handed over to the Antigua and Barbuda government on Thursday, marking the completion of the infrastructure phase of the Booby Alley resettlement initiative.