By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

TRANSPORT and Housing Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis said yesterday her ministry will review the former government’s Prospect Ridge development project before it makes any decision relating to the housing programme.

The housing programme, geared towards young professionals, was initiated by the Minnis administration in a bid to make affordable homes more accessible to Bahamians.

After the programme's launch, officials revealed in August that some 1,500 applications had already been received for the housing initiative.

Yesterday, Mrs Coleby-Davis was asked if the Davis administration planned to continue with the programme.

She said. "We're going to review everything that's on the table, what will work, will stay and where it doesn't fit in the plans, there will be some maneuvering but we're not in the business of going out there and cancelling things right away.

“We know a lot of young Bahamians are interested in becoming home owners and that's important for them and so our focus would be how we can assist Bahamians in general, especially young Bahamians to get into their homes and so I think that idea is a good one."

Her comments came after she was sworn into office yesterday, becoming one of five women to take a Cabinet post.

Yesterday, Mrs Coleby-Davis expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Phillip "Brave" Davis for the appointment and also briefly outlined her plans for the ministry while in office.

She said: "Before I put forward my plans, I want to meet with the ministry, speak to the staff, speak to the persons in the office and the permanent secretary and understand where they are, but we know for sure that we want to build some homes in this country and there haven't been any built in the last four and a half years so definitely that's our number one focus – how we tackle building homes and getting Bahamians back into homes so that they can be owners."