FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Senator Reuben Rahming : The FNM won’t just talk about the housing crisis; We will fix it.
The housing crisis in The Bahamas didn’t start yesterday, it has been building for years. But it’s not good enough for the government to simply admit the problem while having no idea what to do about it.
That’s why today, the difference between the two main parties could not be more clear: a Davis-led PLP that is out of ideas, versus a Pintard-led FNM that’s ready with solutions.
Since 2010, our population has grown by more than 13 percent. But in 2023, only 607 new homes were completed, a collapse from the 1,700-plus homes built in 2006. Today, the country faces a shortfall of over 12,000 housing units.
In places like Abaco, the consequences are even more dire. Developers are ready to invest, and job opportunities exist, but there are simply no homes to house the workers. At the Abaco Business Outlook, Chamber President Chantelle Sands made it plain: “We cannot grow Abaco if people have nowhere to live.” That’s true across The Bahamas, but partnership means nothing without leadership.
Our leader Michael C. Pintard was right to say that we need a housing revolution in The Bahamas, and that is exactly what we will experience with a new FNM government.
The plan is driven by three key drivers. First, we will invite our best and brightest to design modern, stylish housing options that Bahamians of all 1 income levels can invest in and afford. The plans will utilize smart, cost-efficient building technology and practical land-use strategies to make homeownership more attainable.
Second, we will mobilize hundreds of millions in private capital and leverage public land to create a national Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), capable of financing large-scale developments and restoring thousands of homes over the next five years.
Third, we will modernize outdated laws, cut red tape, and fix banking inefficiencies that are keeping everyday Bahamians from building and owning homes.
That’s the kind of bold, immediate action the situation demands. We will prioritize affordable housing construction, expand rental access, and unlock hotel and tourism development with a workforce strategy that starts with hard-working Bahamians having a place to call home.
The PLP has spent years lamenting a crisis while doing little to fix it. We can’t wait any longer. We don’t need more committees or empty promises—we need homes, and we need a government ready to get moving. That’s what the Free National Movement will do. Because we don’t work for headlines, we work for you.