“Two Acres Here, Three Acres There”: Barbados Moves to Take a Methodist Church’s Land for Housing

• Barbados will compulsorily acquire 2.21 acres of Methodist church land in St Philip
• About 30 housing units are planned for the site
• The government is targeting 2,000 homes a year
• The housing minister said every small plot counts on a 166-square-mile island

The Barbados government is turning to church land to meet its housing targets. Barbados Today reported in August 2026 that Housing Minister Chris Gibbs told Parliament the state would compulsorily acquire about 8,940 square metres, or 2.21 acres, at Ebenezer, St Philip. The land belongs to Ebenezer Methodist Church.

The acquisition will be made under section 5 of the Land Acquisition Act, and about 30 housing units are planned on the site. It is part of a wider programme that aims to deliver 2,000 homes a year, which Gibbs said pumps about $400 million a year into the economy.

The minister explained why even small parcels matter. “Two acres here, three acres there – it adds up. In an island that is 166 square miles, we must be very resourceful in the way in which we use our land resources,” he said.

The Ebenezer plan also reflects a change in the kind of housing being built. The government is moving away from single-family lots towards denser designs such as duplexes, quads, townhouses and apartments. Ebenezer joins other state-backed developments at Vineyard, Deanstown Heights, Hanson, Searles, Todds and Bright Hall.

For churches, the case is significant. Land held for generations around a place of worship, or left unused, can become a target when governments are short of building sites. Compulsory acquisition means the owner does not get to decide whether to sell, although the law provides for compensation.

Jamaican churches hold considerable land in and around towns, much of it undeveloped, and Jamaica faces its own shortage of affordable homes. The Barbados move is a precedent church boards here should note. Denominations that plan their surplus land for housing themselves, through sales to members, partnerships with housing agencies or church-led schemes, keep more control over the outcome than those that wait for the state to decide. Up-to-date titles and a clear plan for each parcel are the best preparation.

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