The Ministry of Housing and the Environment was established in October, 2010 following the 2010 General Elections. The Ministry was formerly part of the Ministry of Planning, Housing and the Environment.

The Ministry of Housing and the Environment is responsible for the formulation and execution of Government’s policy in the Housing and Environmental sectors. The Ministry operates as facilitator in the implementation of those policies through its various units and affiliated agencies. There are three (3) main units that address the needs of the various publics served by the Ministry, namely:

• The Housing Policy, Facilitation and Implementation Unit (HPFIU),
• The Programme Monitoring and Coordinating Unit (PMCU) and
• The Green Fund Executing Unit.

In addition, there are seven (7) affiliated agencies that assist in implementing and promoting the Ministry’s plans, programmes and projects.

The roles and responsibilities of the respective agencies are guided by the implementation of the Policy Framework for Sustainable Development, the National Environmental Policy and the Housing Policy.

The Ministry has several core areas of responsibility, namely:

• Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement
• Environmental Management
• Maintaining the nation’s forestry, national parks and wildlife
• Housing
• Land Settlement
• National Reaforestation and Watershed Rehabilitation
• Pollution Control and Management
• Regularisation of Tenure