HAPPI Programme Faces Demand for Hundreds More Homes, Turner Says

Minister of Social and Urban Transformation the Honourable Rawdon Turner says hundreds of additional homes are needed to improve the living conditions of vulnerable residents across Antigua and Barbuda.

Speaking at a home-handover ceremony in All Saints on Tuesday morning, Turner said the demand for assistance under the Government’s HAPPI programme remains overwhelming.

While the programme has already constructed and delivered 190 homes, the minister said many families continue to live in difficult circumstances and urgently require assistance.

He appealed for patience from applicants, explaining that delays are largely caused by limited manpower, available resources and the significant number of people seeking help.

“When you apply to the Social Protection Board and an inspection is done, but you don’t hear from them for a while, it is not that we have forgotten you. It is not that we don’t care,” Turner said.

“It is a manpower issue and an issue with the availability of resources.”

The minister said the Government continues to support the programme, but widespread pockets of poverty and poor housing conditions mean that every application cannot be addressed immediately.

Turner said he was recently reminded of the urgency of the situation during a conversation with President of the Antigua and Barbuda Association of Persons with Disabilities Bernard Warner, who had been advocating for a member living in extremely difficult conditions.

He acknowledged that many other applicants are enduring similarly distressing circumstances while awaiting assistance.

“We are doing our best,” Turner assured. “There are so many pockets of poverty in different areas of the community that we need to address, and it is going to take some time.”

Turner said the ministry is exploring additional measures to accelerate construction, including the use of prefabricated homes to complement the work of the HAPPI team and the Social Protection Board.

He also defended the involvement of inmates from His Majesty’s Prison in the construction programme, describing their participation as an important part of rehabilitation.

While acknowledging public concerns about inmates working outside the prison, particularly those related to security, Turner said rehabilitation should include community service, skills training and opportunities for offenders to contribute positively to society.

“A part of their rehabilitation should be giving back to society. A part of their rehabilitation should be community service, and a part should be learning a skill so that, when they leave, they are better able to contribute positively,” he said.

The minister recalled meeting former inmates who learned carpentry and other construction skills through the HAPPI programme and later secured employment after completing their sentences.

Turner said those success stories demonstrate that the initiative does more than provide homes—it also equips inmates with practical skills and offers them a better opportunity to rebuild their lives.

He urged residents to extend patience, grace and support to the HAPPI team and the Social Protection Board as they continue working through the substantial backlog of applications.

“Without the support of the public, we will not be able to lift people out of the living conditions they are in,” Turner said.

He congratulated the sisters who received their new home in All Saints and encouraged them to cherish and properly maintain the property.