St. John’s— Prime Minister Gaston Browne, along with head of the oversight committee, Ambassador Clarence Pilgrim, members of the Chinese Embassy, and the construction company, CCECC, visited the site of the ongoing Booby Alley Housing Project to review the work progress. After visiting the site, the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the pace of construction, which is expected to be completed in the next 12 to 18 months.
The Booby Alley Housing Project had been conceived by the government of Antigua and Barbuda to provide housing to over 300 residents healing from the impoverished communities of Antigua by constructing 150 houses that can withstand the vagaries of nature.
The standard housing being constructed at the project site will provide the latest amenities to the residents while promoting sustainable growth through energy-efficient buildings.
The government of Antigua and Barbuda has set aside a budget of XCD $50 million for this project, and the funding for the same has been secured from the People’s Republic of China.
The project has been constructed in line with the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations. The project will provide safe living conditions to the residents.
The work at the construction site had started in October 2024 following a groundbreaking ceremony that was attended by Prime Minister Browne, his senior cabinet colleagues, and representatives from the Chinese government.
The project had been awarded to China-based ZhongAn Huali Construction Group, which has a proven record of undertaking similar projects across the globe.
The houses are being constructed with reinforced concrete and steel structures to withstand category 4 hurricanes, which have become quite common in the Caribbean region.
The prime minister said that the Booby Alley Housing Project was a social endeavour aimed at providing respectable housing to Antigua’s most impoverished communities.
The Prime Minister said that the project is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2026. Based on the success of this project, the government will be launching similar projects across the twin island nation.
