By Tahna Weston
Residents in the Oliver’s Housing Development are crying out for help as they are faced with a number of issues including structural deficiencies with their homes and dilapidated infrastructure.
Located off All Saints Road, Oliver’s is one of the areas where the government has designated a housing development as part of its drive to provide low income homes for citizens and residents of Antigua and Barbuda. Construction of the houses is being done by National Housing Development and Urban Renewal National Housing Development and Urban Renewal.
However, as the government seems to be making strides in its housing initiative there have been complaints from some of the homeowners about inefficiencies, some of which they have to address using private contractors.
Out of frustration, a number of the Oliver’s residents reached out to Observer as they believe that even though some efforts have been made to address some of the concerns, National Housing has not been taking their respective complaints seriously.
However, fearful of victimisation, the residents spoke on condition of anonymity.
One of the homeowners told Observer that after receiving her keys in July 2023 and taking up residence in December 2023, she is just asking for proper hygiene and safety standards to be met along with proper drains and roads to be built.
The woman spoke about stagnant water settling in residents’ yards because there are no drains to channel water running from the respective homes.
There is no drainage system in place, she said, to alleviate waste water from settling on to other homeowners’ properties and creating a nuisance and breeding mosquitoes.
She said the water from households — including bathrooms and kitchens — should have been channelled through drains throughout the community instead of it having to make its own path and settle on nearby properties. The water would run from some properties which are on a higher elevation into the yards of those living in a lower area, the woman explained.
The Oliver’s resident said homeowners have written letters to officials at National Housing about their concerns but they have been told that Public Works is responsible for putting in the infrastructure.
According to the resident, excuses that the roads cannot be fixed at this time as construction work is currently ongoing on other homes, and heavy duty vehicles have to traverse roads, does not fly with her because the homeowners’ vehicles are being damaged due to the poor condition of the roads, which also pose some safety concerns for children who have to navigate the hazardous roads.
“When we would mention this they would remind us it’s a construction site; but at the same time people have taken residence here since last year, so it’s a construction site for you but it’s a community to us. So how do you bridge the gap of it being a construction site, but still you have given me my keys?” the woman said.
Another resident, Sandra (not her real name) said she has been having issues since she signed her contract in June 2022. The house, she said, should have been completed that same year, but due to some issues with the land, National Housing had to settle it before the bank released any money.
The woman, who said she made periodic visits to check on the progress of the construction of her home, noted that since moving in in December 2023, she has been having difficulties with her roof.
She said her roof, which leaks, had to be repaired on at least three occasions.
“I am still experiencing those things almost eight months after moving in. So, the major problem I am having now, the roof leaks…so it’s the concrete roof. To be honest, they have been trying with that aspect. They ‘fixed’ it twice; it is still leaking. Well actually they came back last week to fix it again for the third time so I am waiting for the next set of heavy rainfall to see if it still leaks,” she said.
She also complained about the roads in the community, saying that, for her, when it rains it is very difficult for her to access her yard.
Yet, another Oliver’s resident said she encountered difficulties with her home days after moving in. She said she had a slow draining issue with water in her shower, and her windows do not close properly.
Additionally, she said trenches have been created in her yard from water running down from neighbouring households, and sometimes she has to jump over them to get to her house.
“So the soakaway, what I am noticing is everybody’s septic tank, the area around the septic tank is wet. Everybody’s septic tank is the same. I don’t know why that is … because maybe because when it rains it fills up with water; not really sure,” she said.
Meanwhile, when asked whether they regretted purchasing the homes, two of the residents said they had no regrets because they are affordable and they would not have been able to own their own home otherwise.
Sandra said she got a private contractor to look at her home and he said that it was structurally sound, so she has no issues with her house, other than those issues which seem to persist, including her leaking roof.
When contacted for feedback regarding the residents’ complaints, the Executive Chairman of National Housing Development and Urban Renewal, Senator Rawdon Turner told Observer that in construction when someone moves into a home there is a period for defects and liabilities, where there are snags – often referred to as a snagging list.
“When somebody moves into a building or a home and they start to use it, there are sometimes issues that arise and the contractor is mandated to go back in and to address these issues,” Turner, who also noted that the construction of the homes are heavily subsidised, said.
He added that National Housing has been working with the residents in Oliver’s to deal with any issues that arise as soon as is practicable.
Speaking to the road condition, the executive chairman said the road condition will continue to be an ongoing issue for some of the homeowners because the area is an active construction site.
He said that everything has been done, especially when it rains, and certain areas are uneven to grade and put down materials so it becomes passable. Turner noted that roads and the drainage “usually comes further down the line when the development is stretched out a little bit more”.
National Housing is hoping to construct over 400 homes in the Oliver’s area but to date about 50 have been completed or are under construction.