Government has tripled the budget for housing repairs to $1.5 million in an effort to assist more vulnerable Caymanians.
The Housing Repairs Assistance Programme, which makes repairs and improvements to damaged homes to address building health and safety issues, has a waiting list of 106 applicants.
The initial $500,000 allocated for 2026 was earmarked to provide assistance to approximately 25 of those homes.
The budget has now been increased, by Cabinet, with an additional $1 million approved, bringing the total programme budget for 2026 to $1.5 million.
The expanded budget is more in line with previous allocations, from when the programme fell under the Ministry of Social Development.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing said the decision was a “timely expansion to provide much needed support to vulnerable Caymanians living in Grand Cayman”.
She added, “This was done as a result of the trends noted in the repair of homes across Grand Cayman.”
The programme is designed to assist vulnerable Caymanians who live in homes that have structural health and safety challenges and cannot afford the cost of repairs on their own.
The ministry currently has 17 active housing repairs projects but expects to increase that number now that it has extra cash.
The programme is aimed at the most vulnerable section of the community and is designed to make houses safe and habitable.
Qualifying homes either have no safe structure, do not provide proper weather protection or lack essential utilities or sanitation.
Funds are also allocated to provide accessibility for elderly or vulnerable residents.
To qualify for support applicants must be Caymanian resident on Grand Cayman and be living in a home with children, elderly or disabled people and be unable to afford the repairs themselves.
Low-income Caymanians on ‘modest salaries’ can also be considered for support.
Applicants must hold legal title to the property or written authorisation to carry out repairs if they are not the legal owner. For multi-generational properties without formal title, letters from a Notary Public are accepted, the ministry said.
The ministry declined to provide previous year’s budgets or information about the number of homes supported in the past, saying this would require a Freedom of Information request to the Ministry of Social Development and Innovation.
Previous Compass reporting suggests the budget varies and can sometimes run as high as $3 million. It is also often expanded following the passage of major storms.
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