National

Housing Minister Addresses Carmichael Village Concerns

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Bahamas is getting a seat at the regional table on housing, even as the government moves to clear up questions and criticism about the Carmichael Village development.

Published

5 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Kendeno Knowles

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Bahamas is getting a seat at the regional table on housing, even as the government moves to clear up questions and criticism about the Carmichael Village development.

The Housing Minister recently addressing both in parliament, pointing to international recognition and what he says is real progress people can actually see.

The Bahamas is stepping into a leadership role on Housing and Urban Development, for the first time ever.

Housing Minister Keith Bell announcing that the country has been elected Vice-President of the forum of ministers and high-level authorities of Housing and Urban Development of Latin America and the Caribbean, referred to as MINURVI, it’s a regional body that brings together housing ministers from across the region.

The role comes as The Bahamas continues to grapple with a long-standing housing shortage.

Bell pointed to a national study as far back as 1984 – New Providence alone needed more than 17,000 new homes a year and by 2016, the Inter-American Development Bank estimated the country needed about 3,600 new homes or major repairs every year.

But for years, construction simply did not keep up.

Bell says the new regional role is designed to help close that gap.

As vice-president for the Caribbean, The Bahamas will help shape regional housing policy, share its urban renewal and clear-hold-build programmes and most importantly, gain better access to technical support and climate financing for resilient housing.

That support, Bell says, can translate directly into more homes, built faster and at lower cost.

And nowhere is that being put to the test, more visibly, than at Carmichael village.

In recent days, questions have been raised about how the development is being managed, including claims it is being run through a “phantom company.”

Bell responding head-on.

“Let me state plainly: there is nothing phantom about anything involved in this project.” – Minister Keith Bell

He says the Carmichael Village Project development company is a wholly government-owned entity, legally incorporated and created for one clear purpose.

The minister reminded Parliament that for more than a decade, Bahamians heard announcements, saw groundbreakings but never received keys.

That, he says, has changed. Homes have now been built, families have moved in and construction is still ongoing.

Bell also addressing how the project is paid for, confirming an initial $20M loan used to get construction started has already been paid off by government, with additional support put in place to keep work moving.

For a country where thousands are still waiting for affordable housing, the minister says this is about delivery, not debate.

With more homes under construction and more expected in the months ahead, Bell says the focus now is simple. Keep building.