Wheatley, while speaking at a weekend rally for his Ninth District launch, counted the distribution of Crown lands and the provision of affordable houses as key priorities for him once he succeeds in getting back into office.

But he also conceded that the $26 million housing project for first-time homeowners embarked on by the Andrew Fahie-led Virgin Islands Party (VIP) government in 2020 was riddled with mistakes.

Dubbed the Joe’s Hill Manor Housing Development, the project entailed six one-bedroom condominiums; 18 two-bedroom condominiums; six two-bedroom split-level condominiums; 13 two-bedroom houses; three three-bedroom houses; two two-bedroom townhouses; and four three-bedroom townhouses — amounting to a total of 52 units.

Wheatley, while acknowledging that the construction project executed under his watch as Social Development Minister was intended to offer affordable housing, said it was an incredible learning experience for him.

He added: “A lot of mistakes were made down there and we missed the mark… [but it was] a good project.”

However, he vowed to replicate the project to improve the lives of Ninth District residents but promised to do so without those mistakes if given the opportunity. “I know how to do a similar project here — that you can afford — and that I’ll do,” Wheatley stated.

Meanwhile, the current Social Development Minister, Marlon Penn, recently stated that a decision must now be made on whether the homes will continue to be restricted to first-time homeowners or whether they will be expanded to other buyers.