by WADE GIBBONS

GLITZ, GLAMOUR, LIGHTS, camera, deception!

That's how Opposition spokesman on housing, Michael Lashley, yesterday summed up Government's primary homes programme, as well as the recently announced plan to start mass producing houses at a Six Roads, St Philip manufacturing plant.

Speaking during a media briefing at the Opposition Leader's official office, James Fort Building, the City, Lashley said since the primary homes programme was launched on September 1, 2004, with much fanfare, Barbadians were clueless as to the progress of the project.

Describing that situation as disrespectful, Lashley suggested that Minister of Housing Reginald Farley's "inaction, silence and lack of vision" since taking over the ministry in February, had shown him to be as similarly ineffective as his predecessors.

The St Philip North MP said Farley had many questions to answer, and among these were what number of people had applied for, and received, houses through the programme; the number of private sector contractors still with the programme; and the number of houses delivered under the Community Aided Self Help (CASH) initiative.

"We have had three ministers of housing whose track records were not good and as a consequence, Government's housing policy since 1994 must be given a failing grade.

"It must be noted that housing for the rich and famous and the sale of land to non-nationals, are moving at a faster pace and those in need are still on Government's waiting list," Lashley said.

Describing Farley as the "de facto" Minister of Housing, he said a recent media briefing on housing by Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Clyde Mascoll, suggested Farley had been indirectly relegated to a junior minister of housing.

On Tuesday, Mascoll announced a $1 million housing project for
lower-income earners. He said plans were afoot for the importation of hardwood from Guyana, and the subsequent pre-designing of houses at the St Philip plant.

But Lashley said Government had not addressed the important question of land.

He added that with land being priced out of the reach of the average Barbadian, Government would ostensibly be building homes for people who had no place to put them.

"I don't expect much from Mr Farley and as such the NHC (National Housing Corporation) will need some direction so that it can return to its original purpose and philosophy of providing housing for those in need," he said.

Lashley said when the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) returned to office, it would be committed to a housing policy geared toward low-income workers.

He added the DLP would create an environment where all Barbadians would have access to affordable housing and land.

wadegibbons@nationnews.com