From An Idea To A Living Pilot
17 Homes. A Bigger Purpose.
Building homes that meet people’s needs starts with understanding how they live. Before building at scale, Project 500’s pilot set out to explore how design, construction and the practical realities of homeownership could come together for Grenadian households.
At Dunfermline, St. Andrew, 17 pilot homes became a place to explore different designs, ask questions and gather first-hand feedback. This is the journey of research, community engagement and professional consultation behind those homes, and how that work helps inform the project’s next steps.
A Deliberate First Step
Why Begin With A Pilot?
A national housing programme involves more than choosing a design and repeating it. It must consider how people live, what they can afford, how homes are constructed and the practical steps between viewing a property and owning it.
The homes are intended for purchase. Different materials and building methods were used to explore construction efficiency alongside design and cost. Bringing these approaches into a pilot makes it possible to consider how the homes are built as well as how they work for the people who will live in them.
The pilot creates a setting in which those questions can be explored together. Different models, materials and building methods make comparison possible. Visitors can experience the spaces for themselves, while lenders, insurers, valuators and contractors can engage with the project beyond a drawing or presentation.
The purpose is to gather the information needed to make better-informed decisions about the homes, features and approaches that should guide a larger rollout.
Research And Development, With Purpose
Built On Research.
Focused On People.
The pilot brought together design development, community conversations, consultations with finance, insurance and construction professionals, and three months of home tours and surveys.
Each step explored a different part of the homeownership journey:
- Everyday Living
- What Prospective Buyers Valued
- Financing, Insuring And Building The Homes
This research and development helps inform the decisions ahead, with care for both the homes and the hardworking people of Grenada who may one day call them their own.
How Pilot Learning Can Guide What Comes Next
Inside The Pilot
Looking Beyond The Finished Home
2023 — Today
The Journey - Step By Step
2023 – January 2024
Opening The Door To New Ideas
The Housing Authority of Grenada’s design competition invited architects, engineers, students and design professionals to contribute ideas for Project 500. With submissions closing in January 2024, it opened the conversation about scalable designs, materials, construction and affordability.
This early stage put a fundamental question on the table: how could a housing programme respond to Grenadian needs while exploring different ways to design and build?
June 2024
Taking The Project From Plans To Place
Site clearing began at Dunfermline in June 2024. The location provided a place to move from proposals to a physical pilot, where different home models and construction approaches could be seen in a real setting.
Building a limited group of homes first creates an opportunity to examine systems, features and construction processes before attempting the same work at a much larger scale.
The same development, seen at different stages and from different viewpoints.
23 October 2024
Bringing The Community Into The Conversation
Five hundred people attended the community meeting outside the Housing Authority’s Dunfermline office. Residents and project organizers came together to exchange information about the initiative.
That conversation matters because a development is more than the homes within it. It becomes part of an existing community. Meeting residents early provided an opportunity to explain the project, hear questions and make space for the people closest to the site to engage with its direction.
The Community Conversation · 23 October 2024
9 May 2025
Connecting Housing With Homeownership
Project 500’s engagement extended to the Republic Bank Mortgage Expo at the Radisson Grenada Conference Centre. The pop-up placed the initiative within a wider conversation about buying and financing a home.
For a middle-income household considering ownership, the design is only part of the decision. Affordability must also be considered alongside financing and the process of purchasing a property.
At The Republic Bank Mortgage Expo
13 May 2025
Engaging The Banking And Finance Sector
Thirteen representatives attended the banking and finance meeting at Coyaba Beach Resort. Participants included ACB, Ariza, Coop Bank, GDB, Nexa and the Grenada Building and Loan Association.
Bringing financial institutions into the conversation recognized their role in the route to homeownership. A wider housing programme needs to consider not only the homes people want, but also the practical financing questions that prospective purchasers will face.
Banking And Finance Consultation · 13 May 2025
14 May 2025
Including The Insurance Perspective
The following day, 16 insurance-sector representatives met at Coyaba. Participants included Demerara Mutual, Gallagher Insurance Brokers, GTM Group, Insurance Consultants, Pan American Life Insurance, Guardian General, Antillean, Netherlands Insurance and Grenada General Insurance.
Their participation brought another important perspective into the process: the questions surrounding property protection and insurance. These discussions formed part of the project’s wider stakeholder engagement.
Insurance Perspectives · 14 May 2025
23 May 2025
Moving The Discussion Onto The Site
Twenty-four banking and insurance representatives visited Dunfermline for a walkthrough. The visit took engagement beyond the meeting room and into the setting of the pilot homes.
Seeing the site and models first-hand gave participants a more tangible basis for understanding the initiative. It linked the broader discussion about housing and ownership to the properties and location themselves.
Banking And Insurance Site Visit · 23 May 2025
10 June 2025
Adding Construction And Valuation Perspectives
Seventeen representatives from the contracting and valuation sectors visited for a hands-on update on the site’s progress and model homes.
These are distinct perspectives within a housing project. Contractors bring the practical context of building, while valuation is part of how a property is assessed within the wider purchase and financing process. Including both broadened the range of professional engagement around the pilot.
Valuators And Contractors · 10 June 2025
14 November 2025
Opening The Journey To Public View
Four representatives from media houses joined a walkthrough to review and report on progress. The visit provided an opportunity to see the project directly and help bring its development into the public conversation.
For a pilot using varied designs and construction approaches, clear information matters. Showing the work in context helps explain why the models differ and what this stage of the programme is intended to explore.
Media Walkthrough · 14 November 2025
November 2025–January 2026
Letting People Experience The Homes
Public house tours began on 28 November 2025, with tours and surveys running over three months, from November through January. The programme gathered more than 400 survey responses.
Visitors could walk through the homes, see the surrounding site, register their interest and share feedback. This moved the conversation beyond photographs and floor plans. People could consider the spaces against their own household needs and give their views on the different models.
What The Research Asked
The surveys went beyond asking whether visitors liked a house. They explored the details that make a home suitable for a household and the relationship between preferences, value and affordability.
What The Feedback Revealed
Space That Fits Household Needs
Responses showed a preference for three bedrooms, two bathrooms and medium-sized homes. This gives future planning a clearer picture of the space households want.
Practical Details Matter
Feedback highlighted the value people place on practical kitchens, storage and space for everyday living. These priorities help inform the planning of future homes.
The feedback gives the project a clearer understanding of what prospective homeowners need and value, helping inform decisions about future designs and delivery.
October 2026
Continuing The Journey Towards Ownership
As of October 2026, bidding for the 17 pilot homes is ongoing. Applicant interest and feedback remain part of the information intended to guide the initiative’s next phase.
The pilot therefore serves two connected purposes: progressing the route to ownership at Dunfermline and providing a practical reference point for the decisions involved in building more homes.
The Next Chapter
Built With Purpose
Project 500 followed a deliberate development process with a clear goal: to create homes that respond to Grenadian household needs and establish a practical foundation for wider delivery. Design development, construction, professional consultation and community feedback brought the homes and the realities of homeownership into focus.
Your next home could be here in Dunfermline, St. Andrew. Explore the different designs, picture your everyday life in the spaces and find the layout that feels right for you. Our team can guide you through the purchase requirements and your next steps towards making it your own.
Explore The Models · Scroll To Compare
