The Barbados Tenantries Programme provides an example of what can take place when the state elects to intervene in low-income housing and to facilitate housing upgrading based on self-help principles and vernacular architectural forms. Watson and Potter's work provides the first ever empirical study of the plantation tenantries since the upgrading programme began in the 1980s, and examines contemporary housing conditions and rates of improvement on 150 tenantries.

Mark R. Watson was Assistant Housing Consultant, Pieda PLC, Reading, UK at the time of writing. He is now Economic Policy Adviser to the Rural Development Commission, UK.