Rosan Urges Action on BVI Housing
Political commentator Cindy Rosan warns the British Virgin Islands faces a growing housing crisis driven by family land disputes, limited financing, slow government approvals and a lack of modern housing policy. Speaking on her Morning Facts show, she urged leaders to plan for population growth and questioned whether the territory has homes available for thousands of incoming workers.
Political commentator Cindy Rosan has called on BVI leaders and residents to confront what she describes as an escalating housing crisis, warning the territory is not planning for population growth while approving thousands of work permits each year. Speaking on her Morning Facts show, Rosan said the shortage is driven by a combination of long-running family land disputes, limited access to financing, slow government approvals, inadequate planning and an absence of modern housing policies. "We have a real housing crisis at the moment that is going to get worse," she said. "The jobs are there, but is the infrastructure there?
Are there homes or apartments available for these people to actually live in?" Rosan highlighted land tied up in family disputes as a major barrier. "There’s a lot of fight with family land in the BVI, and this has gone on for decades," she said, adding that contested ownership reduces the supply of property available for development.
She also criticised local banks for making it difficult for Virgin Islanders to access construction and development loans. "I'm going to be very honest and say that the banks look at locals and dark-skinned people and determine whether they're gonna give a loan or not. So you have that against you," Rosan said.
She noted some locals own land that could be developed but are unable to secure financing to build apartments or rental units. Even when funding is available, Rosan argued that government bureaucracy and slow approvals create further delays. She questioned whether housing capacity is being considered when large numbers of work permits are issued. "When we’re thinking, ‘Okay, we’re going to pass 2,000 work permits this year,’ do you have some place for them to stay?
Because when they get here, they need to live somewhere," she said. Rosan warned the challenge goes beyond migrant workers, affecting young Virgin Islanders trying to move out, start families or buy their first homes. She urged a rethink of the island's preference for single-family homes, saying the BVI does not have enough land for that model to continue. "We have to get out of this mindset that I need to live by myself in my own space when I’m purchasing something," she said.
As solutions, Rosan suggested promoting condominiums, townhouses and higher-density developments, and pressing for long-awaited landlord and tenant legislation to protect both owners and renters. Her remarks are a call for coordinated planning, finance solutions, expedited approvals and modern housing policy to meet the needs of residents and the workforce as the territory grows.
Primary source: BVI News