Cabinet seeks FOI extension for housing report request
(CNS): As the current government’s poor transparency record continues to worsen, the Cabinet Office has asked for another 30 days before releasing any part of a key report and other related documents on the issue of housing. After the government refused to respond to a media request for a copy of the report generated by a cross-ministerial task force about the development of a housing policy, CNS submitted a freedom of information request for the document in March. But more than a month later, officials have now asked for more time to consider the request.
Cayman is facing an affordable accommodation crisis, as illustrated by the recent confirmation by the police that there has been a notable increase in people sleeping rough, especially in their cars. Although the government has stated that housing is a priority, it has not yet revealed any plans to manage the deepening problems of homelessness and overcrowding.
The CIG has also failed to say how it intends to deal with sky-high rents and property prices, which makes homeownership extremely difficult now for most people and low-cost rental accommodation almost impossible to find.
A year after the PACT line-up took office in April 2022, it formed the cross-ministerial housing task force to look at what could be done to deal with the crisis. Since then, ministers have on occasions floated ideas about what they were considering, including an announcement in February 2023 by Planning Minister Jay Ebanks that land held by the National Housing Development Trust in George Town, at the end of Courts Road, would be earmarked for the first effort to build multi-storey social housing.
A few months earlier, before he was sacked from Cabinet, Chris Saunders had floated the idea of changing the planning rules to allow thirty-storey buildings away from the beach for low-cost apartments. However, since then, nothing more has been said about either proposal.
In January of this year, the government announced that it had engaged consultants on a  CI$276,750 contract to help shape that policy and conduct a public consultation, which began in March.
The lack of available housing for locals as well as work permit holders, especially those on very low pay, has been a serious problem for some time. This has led to landlords cramming as many beds into rental units as possible to meet the demand and maximise profits. However, in some communities, a greater density of tenants has increased traffic and caused parking and garbage problems.
While the government-owned National Housing Development Trust has begun building small family homes on several sites to sell to Caymanians who qualify, the broader problem of an insufficient supply of affordable accommodation has not been addressed.
While the development of luxury high-end homes continues at a rapid pace, few developers appear willing to build low-cost rental units. While several ten-storey buildings have been given the green light for luxury hotels, condos and commercial developments, no developer has submitted plans for accommodation towers to house imported labour or local people who cannot afford to buy their own homes.
The government has spoken about incentivizing landlords to build affordable housing, but no policy proposals have been announced, and there have been no updates about the work of the task force or what conclusions or recommendations are documented in the report.
Meanwhile, the survey undertaken by the consultants closed earlier this month. No details about how many people took part or how they responded have been released by the UPM government, which has disengaged almost entirely from the media and the public since its formation following the ousting of Wayne Panton as premier and the downfall of the original PACT line-up.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Another NHDT ground breaking was carried in West Bay and kept low profile.
Minister Jay now trying to get or appear to do something away from his district, so as not to appear unfair.
Why is there even a process for requesting FOI extensions? that kina goes against the point of having a freedom of information act…
any comment mrs governor???
multi-storey social housing = Ghetto
low rise social housing = low rise ghetto.
A cross ministerial task force comprised of Ministers! They want to control the process and don’t have the expertise.
Minister Jay Ebanks announces in Feb 2023 land is earmarked to build social housing – nothing in the budget for this Bo Bo! Talk is cheap!
Paid a consultant $276K – there is enough local talent that could have done this at a fraction of the cost or free!
Affordable homes provide a select few with a house. Waste of land space. Should have built apartments but not 30 storeys as Saunders recommended.
This list can go on but what is the point?
The transparency fell away pretty quickly after the former Premier was ousted. Now you all know who was the glue and why they were anxious to see him gone!
Banana Republic! Vote them out!!
I remember Kenneth saying on OC radio show that he could not find affordable accomodation for one of his voters, and that in his view it was the DoE fault. What a lunatic
This guy lives about a stone throw away from several houses that are now multi-multi occupancy, shared with people along nationality lines. Throw another stone and he’ll see the slum area by Fairlawn Road. This ain’t DoE, Kenneth.
what Blackstone is doing in America is being done here by a cartel of wealthy folks and cireba.
Blackrock, Air B&B, VRBO and the like are destroying affordable housing in every country.
Step 1: Moratorium on any new short-term rentals.
Step 2: Require insurers to investigate all policyholders to determine if they are using their domicile as a business.
the people wanted grass roots politicians instead of proven leaders. We got what we wanted big time.
I won’t make the same mistake next year. Everyone in Cabinet needs to go. They are simply out of their league.
oh yes because PPM track track is sterling. we in a lose lose situation, they all need to go.
You know, if we enforced our laws, none of this shitshow would be possible.
Simple laws relating to planning, density of occupation per bedroom, accommodation forms, immigration, adequacy of remuneration, overtime, pensions, health insurance, training and mentoring… all ignored.
The result, look around you at the destruction of a people, their future, and their economy.
Tried that, but DPP screwed the pooch on that one
Minister Jay was reviewing the reports over lunch when some ketchup spilled and he accidentally ate them.