By Val Matthias. Updated 12:10 p.m., Saturday, February 14, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
The ongoing budget debates in Parliament saw sharp exchanges this week as Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday and Senator Carlos James clashed over the government’s handling of housing relief for residents displaced by Hurricane Beryl.
Speaking on the floor, Prime Minister Friday criticised the pace of the government’s housing programme, highlighting delays in the promised prefabricated housing initiative. He noted that while 300 units had been ordered and 40 delivered, only three had been constructed to date. “What kind of a record is that? Where is the urgency?” he asked, stressing that many families remained in rental accommodation months after the disaster.
Dr. Friday also accused the government of failing to adequately support displaced residents in the aftermath of the hurricane.
“You didn’t even pay the rent for a lot of those people. You did not provide food and sustenance for them,” he said, arguing that vulnerable families had been left without timely assistance.
Senator James rose on a point of order, challenging the Prime Minister’s assertion that the then government had failed to provide rental subsidies or support. He insisted that funds had been budgeted and disbursed through the Ministries of Tourism and Social Development, though he conceded that some payments may have been delayed.
“You’re misleading the House on that point,” James argued, defending the then administration’s record.
Speaker of the House Mrs. Ronnia Durham‑Balcombe intervened to calm the exchange, ruling that the matter had become “a battle of the facts,” with both sides presenting competing versions of events.
Hurricane Beryl struck Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in July 2024, causing widespread destruction across Union Island, the southern Grenadines, and parts of the mainland. Homes were flattened, electricity and communications were cut for days, and thousands were displaced. A World Bank rapid damage assessment estimated severe housing losses, with rebuilding expected to take years.
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