Minister in the Ministry of Housing, Phillip Alexander, said taxpayers are left footing the bill for unfinished HDC houses in the Bon Air area after many of the structures are now deemed unsafe and must be demolished, adding further costs.
This comes as the Government moves to salvage failed HDC projects.
During a visit to the Bon Air North Phase III Development on Friday, the Minister said that after receiving a copy of the most recent geotechnical survey, it was discovered that the land was unfit for building, raising serious safety concerns about the project’s suitability.
“The Ministry of Housing under Camille Robinson-Regis and the HDC under Camille Robinson-Regis built units for three times the price that it could be sold at. Meaning that everybody who paid $600,000 for one of the finished units up here, the taxpayers foot the bill for eight and nine hundred thousand dollars per unit.”
Mr Alexander noted that taxpayers now face the added burden of paying for demolition.
He further criticised the previous administration for the mismanagement of public funds, pointing to $80 million in accepted overruns and 165 million dollars spent on partially completed units that were later abandoned.
“I was told by the chairman today are seeking legal advice as to how to recover what went on here. Further to that, there was 50 partially completed units that were paid for, and the HDC spent $165,992,000 for partially completed units: 52 townhouses, 152 apartments. That math is these units were three-quarter way paid for but the HDC can’t find units that 50% completed.”