By Sylvan Spooner
HIST 3030: The Evolution of Social Policy in Barbados
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| Self-help housing in Barbados |
Over the past few years Barbadian newspapers and call-in programs have been inundated by the public outcry for affordable housing. In its response to address the concerns of those seeking to own their own home, the Government of Barbados has launched a series of building projects to satisfy the growing need for housing for every Barbadian. Housing projects at Coverley, Constant, Lancaster Guinea , St. Joseph Barbados
The current reliance on Government for housing solutions lies in direct contrast to a century ago when working class Barbadians used whatever means at their disposal to obtain housing in any form during a period when colonial government provided little or no assistance for housing the poor. Known as ‘self-help’ housing, Barbadians utilized any means (and space) to shelter their families. With little aid from authorities, it was the iconic Barbadian chattel house which kept Barbadians housed and communities close. As aesthetically pleasing as they were convenient even if in cramped villages, Barbadians built their chattel communities on small rented tenantry lands often at the mercy of landlords who could evict renters who forfeited on their contractual arrangement. Self-built, these nascent 20th century Barbadian home owners live in overcrowded unsanitary conditions where sanitation was limited and latrines emptied into the yards of neighbours or the closest river or stream.
In the early 20th century, the Panama migration provided an impetus for local land ownership and an outlet for the chronic overcrowding in rural and urban areas; moreover, an estimated 5000-10,000 small plots of land were purchased directly with money sent from Panama Richardson
By 1965 the Tenantries Control Act would see poor Barbadian families having greater opportunities for the expansion of their homes which for the most part were still on rented land; however, they could now expand their homes due to more secure tenure and with a reduced risk of eviction. However tenants were still denied the right to purchase the property on which they lived. It would be the implementation of the Freehold Tenantry Act (1968) which would see locals being giving the first real opportunity to purchase the land on which they had lived for decades and many did so with the aim of erecting permanent homes. The increase in access to loans and financing from the various lending and banking agencies which have allowed not only poor, but also middle class working families to help themselves through a transition from wood to more permanent housing solutions. The 1990’s saw Barbadians embarking on building their homes within the forms of the modern day vernacular with concrete and stone replacing the wood the wood of the early 20th century. Nevertheless, in this modern era of government subsidized and sponsored housing, one should not forget that bygone period in this islands history when it was up to the poor to house themselves.
