Government Approves $41M in CABI Home-Concession Applications for 2025; Programme Now Tops $900M Since Launch
Tourism and Investment Minister Charles “Max” Fernandez says the Construct Antigua and Barbuda Initiative (CABI) continues to be one of the country’s most significant home-ownership programmes, reporting that more than EC $41 million in applications were approved in 2025 for first-time homeowners. He added that since the programme’s launch in 2011, CABI has delivered over EC $900 million in housing concessions, helping more Antiguans and Barbudans take the first step toward owning a home.
Presenting during the Budget Debate, Fernandez said the EC $41 million in approvals for 2025 supported 120 new homes—all granted concessions under CABI. “This equates… to 120 homes that the government has approved for concessions to build,” he told MPs, noting that those figures do not include units being built under Central Housing or subsidised housing schemes.
Fernandez said the programme, which began in 2011, has grown well beyond its original scale, surpassing 1,500 approved homes to date. “We met the program. But we make it better,” he said, crediting ongoing reforms for strengthening the initiative’s reach and effectiveness.
He stressed that CABI’s long-term value lies not just in the volume of homes built or concessions granted, but in the opportunity it provides to first-time homeowners, many of whom would otherwise struggle to enter the housing market. “These are persons that are the first Antiguans and Barbudans, first-time homeowners… getting an opportunity to build their own property,” he said.
Fernandez also emphasized that homes built under the programme must meet higher resilience standards, reflecting the government’s push for stronger, climate-ready construction. “This is properties that are built with sustainability and resilience in mind… building stronger, building with more resilience,” he said, pointing to recent regional disasters as reminders of the need for durable infrastructure.
He ended the section by underscoring the programme’s broader social impact. “It’s not just about building houses, it’s about building a future for them,” Fernandez said.
