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“Renaissance Project” rises from the ashes of the $400M East Coast fiasco that left 2,400 families dreaming and waiting.

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Basseterre, St. Kitts — October 6, 2025 — SKN Times

The National Housing Corporation (NHC) has announced the construction of 200 new homes under its so-called “Renaissance Project” — a desperate attempt by the Drew administration to resurrect its crumbling housing agenda following the catastrophic collapse of the much-touted 2,400-unit Smart Home Project.

This new initiative, unveiled with fanfare and photo-ops, comes just months after Deputy Prime Minister Geoffrey Hanley publicly admitted the “total failure” of the East Coast-led Smart Home scheme — a debacle that drained millions in taxpayer funds, stalled for nearly two years, and produced little more than empty lots and broken promises.

A PATCHWORK OF PANIC, NOT POLICY

While the government now boasts of activity at sites in Stapleton, Harry Phipps, Ottley’s, and Sandy Point, critics say this sudden push reeks of political panic rather than proper planning.
At the Harry Phipps site, NHC’s Assistant Technical Manager, Davina Shoulette, confirmed that work only began on July 14, 2025 — a full three years after the grand “housing revolution” was promised in 2022. Ten modest two-bedroom houses are being built by four contractors — a far cry from the promised 2,400 “smart” homes that were to transform the nation’s skyline.

“Some houses are at stage three, some are still at stage one,” Shoulette admitted, highlighting the slow and uneven pace of progress.

Meanwhile, NHC General Manager Jonelle Rawlins attempted to paint an optimistic picture, citing ongoing work in Stapleton and plans to clear new lands in Gillard’s Meadow, Newton Ground, and Sandy Point. Yet, even with these additions, the numbers don’t add up — fewer than 200 houses are either completed or under construction, representing less than 10% of what was promised under the previous flagship plan.

FROM “SMART HOMES” TO SIMPLE FOUNDATIONS

The stark downgrade from “smart” energy-efficient homes to basic two-bedroom concrete units underscores what many have called the Drew administration’s spectacular housing policy implosion.
The Smart Home Project, once valued at over EC$400 million, was marketed as a modern solution to the Federation’s housing crisis. Instead, it became a symbol of bureaucratic paralysis, poor oversight, and political deception.

As of today, there are no smart homes, no smart technology, and no accountability.

NHC SCRAMBLES TO RECLAIM CREDIBILITY

Rawlins’ assurances that NHC has “continued to meet its mandate” ring hollow for hundreds of applicants still waiting, some since 2022, for a key, a call, or even a clear answer.
Her statement that “we are almost at 200 homes completed and under construction” — not including those planned — exposes just how far the government has fallen from its original target.

Observers note that NHC’s recent site tours and upbeat press releases appear to be an orchestrated public relations campaign to salvage a damaged reputation and distract from the East Coast Development Corporation scandal, which has now become a political albatross.

FROM FAILURE TO FACE-SAVING

What was promised as a “Smart Home Revolution” has fizzled into a Renaissance of Regret — a patchwork attempt to mask failure with fresh cement and ribbon cuttings.

While families continue to wait for affordable housing and transparency, the government seems more intent on repairing its image than rebuilding its credibility.

The Drew administration’s dream of a modern housing miracle is, for now, up in rubble — not renaissance.

Read more about the collapse of the East Coast housing debacle here: Times Caribbean Online – DPM Geoffrey Hanley reveals startling failure of NHC East Coast Housing Project