During a press presentation, the Minister of Infrastructure, Energy and Telecommunications, Mr. Rene Herdé, provided an explanation regarding the current situation of Infrastructure and Housing.
Unfortunately, the general state of infrastructure in Aruba is not as it should be. A comprehensive evaluation is needed of the current conditions of Aruba’s infrastructure. Roads and neighborhoods suffer from lack of mobility, structural maintenance, and quality issues.
There are opportunities to establish a process for developing new residential areas. There is also potential to integrate subjects in schools that are directly related to work in the infrastructure and construction sectors. Furthermore, ‘best practices’ from the Netherlands can be applied in the planning and execution of innovative housing projects.
Currently, the demand for housing has increased and has drastically surpassed the availability. For social housing alone, there are more than 4,000 requests, and 50% of these requests come from residents with an average age of 55 and older. There is also a strong need among young people and families for new, high-quality, and affordable housing. All of this impacts the quality of life and economic growth.
The priority is to develop collaboration models and access to funding for housing. In addition, new construction methods are needed to accelerate housing production.
Minister Herdé’s wish is to establish a system that enables local residents to obtain their own home.
Press release: Government of Aruba
