BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, February 18, 2020 (MMS-SKN) — Team Unity Administration is a government of compassion, and Minister of Human Settlements et al. the Hon Eugene Hamilton has said that the National Housing Corporation (NHC) through its Unity Housing Solutions is also building homes for the differently-abled persons.
“We share with those in need because we have compassion – we are a compassionate government,” said the Hon Hamilton on Thursday February 13 in Hermitage, Cayon, at a ceremony held to allocate eleven houses built by the NHC in Cayon, Keys, and Conaree. One of the recipients was Mr Van-Devere Williams who is physically challenged.
Minister Hamilton, who is also the Area Parliamentary Representative for Constituency Number Eight, added: “This home on my left will go to this gentleman and his mother. As a young man he got in an accident – he has been disabled. Under the previous administration they had an opportunity to provide an opportunity for him to get a home but they did not.”
Those receiving keys to their new houses were told by the Hon Hamilton that a home is the most significant investment they could make in their lifetime. He advised them to use their home as an opportunity to climb to the top.
“Take care of it, and let it provide the service it was intended to provide – do not destroy it, because it is perhaps the single most largest investment you would ever make,” said the Hon Hamilton.
Turning to Mr Van-Devere Williams, who was accompanied by his mother Ms Evette Burke-Dore, the Minister said: “You are the second person in this area where the government is showing how compassionate it is. We have some social housing opportunities in St. Peter’s too.”
The ceremony, which was chaired by NHC’s Public Relations Manager Ms Jonelle Rawlins, was also attended by Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, Deputy Prime Minister the Hon Shawn Richards, Chairman of the NHC Board Mr Valentine Lindsay, NHC General Manager Mr Charles Morton, and NHC Board member Mr Calvin Leader.
Others included Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sustainable Development and former NHC General Manager Mrs Elreter Simpson Browne, and St. Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board member Mr Victor Earle.
Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, who gave brief remarks at the ceremony, said: “Your Team Unity Government is taking care of the people’s business. We are moving the country forward and we are giving every area their fair share. This is a government that is visionary, a government that is compassionate, a government that is sincere and we promise you as many as we have done now, in our second term the best is yet to come.”
Chairman of the National Housing Corporation Board, Mr Valentine Lindsay, observed that at least 90 per cent of houses built in Cayon, were put up on private persons’ land. He also advised that Minister Hamilton had instructed the Board to also build houses for the differently-abled.
“We have one here, one was in St. Peter’s, one was in Sandy Point, and in Number Seven we had another one,” said Mr Lindsay. “We are going around the communities in the country and we are going to ensure at least in every constituency you would have at least one of those houses.”
