By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

ARAWAK Homes president Franon Wilson has suggested adjusting the country’s zoning restrictions could help address The Bahamas’ ongoing housing crisis.

Last month, Housing Minister Mr Keith Bell revealed the country faces a shortage of more than 12,000 housing units. He cited a previous study recommending the construction of around 2,800 homes per year, highlighting the scale of the challenge in closing the housing gap.

“One of the things I think we really need to do in Nassau is rezone many communities currently designated for single-family homes to allow for multi-family housing,” Mr Wilson said yesterday.

He said relaxing zoning laws would allow homeowners to expand their properties by adding one- or two-bedroom units, which could accommodate family members or be rented out.

“So, the reality is and members of parliament would see it, you go in homes and you see multi generations living in the home and while they would like to add on and give them their own separate meter, even if they live in the same yard at the end of the day everyone has their same space it cannot happen because the regulations say it can only be a single-family home,” he added.

Mr Wilson also noted that, while the minister mentioned the 12,000-unit shortage, there aren’t enough available lots to build that many homes. He stressed that rezoning could help alleviate this issue.

“We have to look at where we are and look at the reality and how do we move forward and one of the ways we see to move forward is to allow people to add on to their homes and do it whereby they could have another meter on the homes,” he said.

Mr Wilson also noted that the rise in popularity of Airbnb and vacation rentals has exacerbated the country’s housing challenges by shifting many properties from long-term to short-term use.

Meanwhile, Mr Bell has expressed concern over the shortage of “affordable” housing, especially on islands like Exuma and Eleuthera, where landlords are converting long-term rental properties into higher-priced short-term vacation rentals for tourists.