Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 24, 2018 (SKNIS): The Government of National Unity continues to deliver on its manifesto promise of providing affordable and quality homes for low-to middle income families. Just this week, on August 21 and 23, over 40 homes were distributed in Constituencies Seven and Three, adding to the pool of empowered citizens with a most significant life investment. In addition to the Unity Housing Solutions Programme, which is administered by the National Housing Corporation (NHC), other programmes are in place to assist homeowners.
Minister responsible for Human Settlement, the Honourable Eugene Hamilton, said that the guiding conduct of the Team Unity Administration is to do the greatest good for the greatest number of persons, which is the philosophy of Utilitarianism.
“I have delivered 219 homes including 42 in my beloved Constituency #8 alone. By next September, another 170 plus will be delivered throughout the island,” said the Honourable Eugene Hamilton.
On August 21, keys were presented to 30 new home owners in Constituency Seven, which includes the villages of Molineux, Estridge, Tabernacle, Lodge Project and Bourryeau. 16 homes were built in clusters and 14 homes were built under the NHC (National Housing Corporation) Building Assistance Programme. The key presentation ceremony was held in Molineux at Catholic Street Housing Extension.
On August 23, at a similar ceremony held in La Guerite Village, West Basseterre, twelve proud citizens became homeowners after receiving keys to their homes from NHC.
Additionally, many persons have benefited from the HELP programme, said Minister Hamilton.
“We introduced HELP, which is a programme introduced by the Government of National Unity, where citizens in this country, householders whose homes were in bad shape, no bathrooms, no toilets, leaky roofs which have been damaged for years and some people who just can’t afford,” he said.
He said that the government has been helping persons with materials and labour costs up to $10,000 to do repairs on their homes.
He also said that this help is provided to persons irrespective of their political affiliation once they are in need.
“So, we have set about and conducted a programme successfully to date and it still continues for persons who find themselves in those needs,” he said.
Moreover, commenting on the new homes built under the Unity Housing Solutions Programmes, the housing minister said they are of a far better quality and more spacious than what were built under the former administration.
“We set about to produce a better quality home, a better quality house that you will call home. We improved the home by making it bigger. The bedrooms can hold a double bed and a master bed too, and still hold the dressing table and other things,” he said. “We have also changed the roof. That is what I call a hard roof which is less likely to be damaged by a hurricane rather than shingles, which blow off the roof when the wind blows too hard. To add value, the interest rate is only 2 percent.”
