Homeownership is the core of the Anguillian Dream. There are many Anguillians, particularly our young people, who feel today that this dream is beyond their reach. The high cost of living, limited opportunities for meaningful and permanent employment and the difficulties of securing the necessary finance conjoin to disturb the dream. These factors, coupled with the inequalities entrenched in our social system, where persons from a certain community and family are treated as second class citizens, further perpetuate a prolonged depression and frustration that bubbles just beneath the surface. We cannot continue down this path. All our people deserve to be treated with respect and be given opportunities to pursue and achieve their dreams.
It is also important to distance ourselves from the “naysayers” who would seek to dismiss this dream of home ownership for the many, partially because those same individuals are only interested in homeownership for the select few. Affordable Housing in Anguilla is possible! We need only to understand what the challenges are and to work together to formulate and implement possible solutions. I have attended several youth forums and listened to my constituents and persons nationwide who have articulated the challenges and the hopelessness that they feel at times, surrounding this issue. Some young people have resigned themselves to live in their parents’ home for the rest of their lives. Many who have travelled overseas to educate themselves and/or work are unable to view homeownership as an achievable goal in their country of birth. This, to me, is unacceptable.
Our youth and elderly alike mourn the demise of jollification, when everyone worked joyfully together to build houses for each other. Those were the days when our values impressed our Caribbean neighbours.
The ONE Anguilla vision dictates that, as a people, we can work together with mutual understanding and respect to address this issue. And, most importantly, the opportunity for homeownership must be extended to all who qualify regardless of colour, creed or social status. This is fundamental to a successful intervention and a means by which we can combat the inequalities that exist in our society. Affordable Housing is possible and the youth are paving the way by offering solutions and suggestions as to how we can begin to work on this issue. Some of these I have listed below:
Low-Income Housing Developments – Such projects have worked in other Caribbean countries and can also work here in Anguilla. Crown lands can be designated for the construction of housing units for low income families. This can be funded through foreign direct investments and/or partnerships between the government and the private sector.
Special Credit Facility – One of the major barriers to homeownership in Anguilla is financing. The current regulatory framework in Anguilla is not conducive to first time homeowner prospects. The physical and financial assets needed for down payments, guarantees and collateral, present a major barrier to many who seek to own a piece of the rock for themselves. Government can and must play a role in levelling the playing field by providing a special credit facility for persons who qualify to access subsidies and special negotiated interest rates, to become homeowners.
Transform Abandoned Properties – The abandoned properties in Anguilla can be recommissioned and repurposed through the legal framework, to transform these properties into rent-to-own low income household units. This is a way to turn the tragedy of the banking and financial crisis into a positive pathway to home ownership and financial independence for our people.
Homeownership allows our people to feel and be more connected to the community, and this is critical to building strong families and relationships. This is not a pie-in-the-sky dream. I firmly believe that we can take a serious look at these suggestions and initiatives and work along with our people to find meaningful solutions to this growing problem and concern. Politicians who profess to know all the answers, without listening to the people who face these struggles on a daily basis, are out of touch with the heartbeat of Anguillians. I look forward to working with my constituents and, as a member of a new government, to make affordable housing a reality for our people.
