The Housing Unit is a Department within the Ministry of Agriculture, Land, Housing and the Environment (MAHLE) established by the  Executive Council in December 2005. The Unit was formalized under  the Housing Act 2016.  The  Housing Unit is responsible for developing and administering housing policies that support the sustainable development of Montserrat to ensure adequate housing for all.  To achieve this goal and meet the housing needs of vulnerable households, the Housing Unit is required to implement and operate a social housing registration and allocation mechanism that is both transparent and compliant with the requirements of its financial stakeholders. The roles of the Housing Department are as follows:

• To develop clear policy guidelines and the requisite legal framework to support the National Housing Strategy
• To foster and strengthen partnerships that will give rise to a sustainable housing market on Montserrat
• To create and maintain a national housing database and information system that will guide policy formulation, development and evaluation
• To identify and research key problems and issues affecting the housing sector and devise appropriate strategies for solution
• To facilitate the permanent resettlement of Montserratians displaced by natural disaster triggered as a result of volcanic activity, hurricane etc, especially those living in temporary accommodation