“A home is more than concrete and steel,” says Duggins as 10 families receive new homes

St. Kitts and Nevis: Ten families officially received the keys to their new homes at the Harry Phipps Housing Development in Half Way Tree today, October 2nd, 2026, as part of the handover ceremony carried out by the National Housing Corporation (NHC) and the Ministry of Housing and Human Settlement in St. Kitts.

Parliamentary Representative for Constituency 4 and Minister of Agriculture Samal Duggins said to those gathered that housing was about people, dignity, security etc. and not just construction.

“That is why housing can never simply be about concrete and steel. Housing is ultimately about our people. It is about dignity. It is about security. It's about family. And above all, it's about possibility,” Duggins noted.

He mentioned that several different families come from different backgrounds and journeys, and include young people starting out, older citizens beginning a new chapter and single mothers who have carried the weight of providing for their children.

“Behind every one of those 10 families lies a different story, a different journey, a different struggle, and a different dream that has brought each family to this moment,” he said.

“I see young people beginning their journey, and I see more mature citizens entering a new chapter of theirs. I see single mothers who have carried the weight of providing and preserving for their children,” Duggins added.

Duggins also reported that nine other families in the constituency have been handed over keys in the past four years and that NHC have advised that there are about eight more to begin building on land they already own.

“Over the past four years here in Constituency number 4, nine other families have already received keys to their new homes and I am advised by NHC that approximately eight more families are now being processed to begin construction on lands that they already own.

According to Duggins, that means a total of roughly 27 homes delivered or progressing in under five years. He said the previous administration delivered around 16 homes in the constituency over seven and a half years.

The homes have been built to a large extent by workers from the constituency, including contractors, carpenters, painters, electricians and plumbers, describing the project as "built by us, for us."

Duggins said each new homeowner will also receive a fruit tree through the Ministry of Agriculture SAFE programme, which he describes as a symbol of the families putting down roots.

Two of the homeowners gave their testimonials, sharing their feelings and experience with the people present at the ceremony.

Antoinette Ford thanked Duggins for the fruit tree initiative, saying it reflected a leadership that understands development as being about homes and people. She said the plant would encourage the new owners to play a part in building a more food-secure St. Kitts and Nevis.

“First, I wanna say a heartfelt thank you to our parliamentary representative and Ministry of Agriculture, the Honorable Samal Duggins for his thoughtful and meaningful initiative,” she said.

“For many of us, this is our first home. It represents years of hard work, sacrifice, and prayers,” she added.

Nikeisha Fraser was one of the lucky ones during her interview as she explained that she is currently renting and wants security for her young son. She only applied because she did not think she had a chance, and when she heard that she had been accepted, but she was looking for a rental apartment.

“After I had my son, Kamali, one of the things that became very important to me was making sure that his future was secure. I wanted to give him stability. I wanted him to grow up feeling safe, happy, and welcomed in a home that we could truly call our own,” she noted.

Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Human Settlement Dr. Geoffrey Hanley said a home is a proud possession and a good investment that appreciates and can be passed on to the next generation.

“It becomes an asset, something you can improve, something that you can have and it grow in value, something that can one day be passed from one generation to the next,” he said.

Hanley asserted that the function of government is to create opportunities conducive to making individuals more secure and less reliant on others, rather than making them permanently dependent. He urged the new owners to sustain their houses and meet their obligations so that other families could reap fruit.

“This is an important part of the role of government, not to make people permanently dependent upon government, but to create opportunities that allow people to become more secure, more independent, and better positioned to build something for themselves and their families,” Hanley said.

He also assured applicants still waiting for housing that the government is aware of their situation and the work will continue.

The programme also featured a symbolic opening of a replica house by Hanley and Duggins, a vote of thanks from Dorothy Keynes and a ribbon cutting, following which guests toured one of the homes.

Senior Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas, Tourism Minister Marsha Henderson and NHC General Manager Jonel Rollins were among those present at the event.