According to a January 2009 Information Memorandum from the Housing and Development Corporation (HDC), there is an acute shortage of housing in Trinidad and Tobago. About 107,000 applications for housing are on the database held by the Ministry of Housing in a country with a population of 1.3 million people.
The Information Memorandum indicated that a large number of applicants fall into one of the following categories: a)  Cannot afford a mortgage (pure rental necessary). b)  Can only access the “rent-to-own” facility. c)  Can only access a mortgage between $ and $  d)  Require a level of subsidy from the State.