The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union yesterday broke ground on a $4.6m housing subdivision that will provide nine homes for union members, with construction expected to take between nine to 12 months.

The Patrick Sherwin George Bain Subdivision, located on Martin Close off of Cowpen Road on 2.59 acres of land, will feature three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes measuring about 1,220 square feet each.

The project, which has been about two and a half years in the making, was initially planned to include 20 homes. However, union officials said the design had to be changed to accommodate a wetland area, reducing the number of homes to nine.

BHCAWU president Darrin Woods said the initial $4.6m outlay includes infrastructure work for the development and the creation of a nature park in the wetland area.

Mr Woods said the funding for the project had been in place for two and a half years, but construction was delayed by the need to satisfy government requirements.

“This has been two and a half years in the making, and let me say, the funding has been in place for two and a half years, so it was not an issue as it relates to funding. It was the necessary governmental red tape and debt and all of those things that had to be satisfied, and once they were satisfied, then we were able to get moving on the project,” he said.

The next phase will involve installing infrastructure, including water, telephone and electricity services, before construction of the homes begins.

Mr Woods said the homes are expected to take between nine and 12 months to complete once construction starts.

The development is being named in honour of the union’s late former president Patrick Shervin George Bain, who Mr Woods credited with launching the union’s first housing programme in 2003.

That programme resulted in homes being developed in Nassau Village, Hollywood Subdivision and Telecord.

Mr Woods said the union had surveyed its membership to determine the demand for housing and found 275 people interested in its housing initiatives.

He said 45 members expressed interest in two-bedroom, one-bathroom homes, while 77 wanted three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes. Three people expressed interest in one-bedroom rental apartments and nine in two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments, while 132 members expressed interest in both housing options.

Six people in San Salvador also indicated an interest in both options. Mr Woods said the level of interest has prompted the union to seek additional land and financing to expand its housing programme.

The union is also planning a housing development in San Salvador, which Mr Woods said is expected to be named in honour of former General Secretary Leo Douglas.

Mr Woods said the union would not select members for the homes itself but rather prospective homeowners will have to qualify for financing, with allocation expected to be based on who is able to secure the necessary financing.

The homes will feature hurricane-proof windows, architectural shingles, nine-foot ceilings, open-concept living spaces, large bedrooms, pantries and laundry areas.

Mr Woods said the union partnered with private financiers to make homeownership more accessible to its members.

“We believe that home ownership should be a low-hanging fruit for them. We know how high the cost of building, construction, and all of that. So, what we’ve done is we’ve taken the initiative to partner with a private financier to get the financing and build the homes. So, the only thing our members would be required to do is get qualified and get their home, and they will be able to turn the keys,” he said.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, who attended the groundbreaking ceremony, said the project honoured Mr Bain’s legacy while helping working Bahamians achieve home ownership.

Mr Davis said the project was particularly significant because hotel workers are central to the country’s tourism industry, while rising land and construction costs have made home ownership increasingly difficult for many working families.