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“Who fooling who?” — Lawrence rips apart government’s defence of $27 million ‘smart home’ flop

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS — August 7, 2025 — The Drew-led St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) administration is reeling under fresh political fire after PLP Constituency #2 Chairman and community activist Dameon Lawrence blasted Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Geoffrey Hanley over what he calls a monumental housing failure.

At the centre of the controversy is the HC/East Coast Developers 2,400 Smart Home Project — a grand promise that has crumbled into an expensive embarrassment. Instead of hundreds of homes, the country is left with two model units and tens of millions gone.

Lawrence’s social media post pulled no punches:

“The Government released US $10,260,000.00 to complete first phase housing initiative. Same government has received no further release of any homes since issuing those funds. Same government has moved on to a new developer for housing the initiative. But somehow the same Drew-led administration has lost no money. Who fooling who?”

His comments came in direct response to DPM Hanley’s statement at a recent Cabinet press conference:

“As you know, as a country, we engage the East Coast Housing Development… Unfortunately, the 600 homes that we were anticipating… delays… investor challenges… the AG’s office is ensuring the government’s interest is protected. But because of the delay, we have not lost any money as a government.”

Lawrence wasn’t buying it — pointing to the glaring gap between $27.7 million paid and zero houses delivered as evidence of “gross incompetence, misplaced trust, and reckless handling of taxpayers’ money.”

What was touted as a landmark in affordable housing has instead become a political landmine — another high-profile failure in the Drew administration’s gr owing list of scandals, missteps, and unfulfilled promises.

With Lawrence’s fiery words now ricocheting across social media, the pressure mounts for answers — and the question lingers: How does a government lose nothing when the nation gained nothing?

#SKNTimes #HousingCrisis #EastCoastFail #AccountabilityNow #PLP #StKittsAndNevis