Politicians wage war of words on housing in Federation
By Melissa Bryant
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
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The Hon. Nigel Carty
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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE inclusion of the twin-island Federation in the recent release of the Robb Report list of the top five second homes market has sparked disagreement between Deputy Leader of the People’s Action Movement (PAM) Eugene Hamilton and Minister of State with responsibility for Information and Technology, the Hon. Nigel Carty.
According to Hamilton, while the accomplishment may be a “lofty statement”, this popularity is nothing new, as a 1994 USA Today article touted the Federation as a sought after destination.
“The Robb Report is an exclusive magazine that targets the rich. What it is doing is encouraging these people to come and purchase our land. If foreign ownership of land increases as a result of this publication, then, to me, it indicates that the government is pushing us towards a servant mentality because people who have second homes here will need caretakers for them.”
He is of the view that the focus should be on encouraging young people to educate themselves so that their economic empowerment comes from the use of their brains rather than the use of their labour.
He also stated that attention should be paid to reducing the cost of low-income housing and ensuring that land is available to locals.
“The promotion of this status really demonstrates that the government is like a drowning man clutching at straws,” Hamilton
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Eugene Hamilton
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concluded.
Carty strongly opposed Hamilton’s views, calling the inclusion a “great achievement”.“The government has really excelled in the area of housing and I think this shows the success that we’ve had in advertising our country and the interest that others have for our little island.”
According to Carty, the government is trying to develop a high-end, long-stay tourism market that would remove the seasonality that is inherent in the industry; and he disagreed with the notion of servant mentality.
“There is nothing wrong with being a caretaker; we have people who are already engaged in this profession. The more of these jobs that are made available, the more these people will demand for them. Wouldn’t it be better to have someone employed for a job of this nature as opposed to standing on a street corner loitering?”
~~Adz:Left~~ He added that the government has steadfastly been engaged in making land available for individuals and local developers, and that Hamilton’s comments indicate that he is not giving [the government] the credit that it is due to it.
Last Thursday (Oct. 2), a release from the Communications Unit of the Office of the Prime Minister stated that according to the October/November issue of the Robb Report Vacation Homes, “St. Kitts and Nevis is the only English-speaking Caribbean nation listed in the top five most lucrative second home markets worldwide.”
It added that the other four international cities are Abu Dhabi, Belize, Croatia and Curacao, while the top five United States cities are Coeur d’Alene; Aspen, Colo.; Las Vegas; Maui, Hawaii; and Miami.
The release further stated that the magazine’s Senior Editor, Samantha Brooks, said the final list “results from extensive research that investigated more than 50 international locations – from the beach and the mountains, to the city and the desert – before narrowing it down to 10 destinations”.
