Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 15, 2017 (SKNIS): The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis continues to fulfill its commitment to provide affordable homes for locals, the latest being the distribution of four houses to residents in the Challengers – Stone Fort area, under the Enhanced Housing Solutions by the National Housing Corporation (NHC).
Four residents of the area were handed keys to their new homes – three, one bedroom units and one, two bedroom unit – during a brief and important ceremony held on Friday, September 15.
The Honourable Lindsay Grant, Parliamentary Representative, expressed his delight in witnessing the ceremony, as it allows the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis and NHC to make the new home owners’ life a lot more meaningful.
“I am really proud because I believe these young men… are indicative of what young men in the community can do and can achieve, and we as the government and NHC are here to provide the necessary support. And so, I hope they will keep these buildings in the pristine conditions that they are in and show an example to the community of Challengers and Stone Fort,” said Minister Grant, while recognizing NHC for its continued efforts in ensuring that persons are given affordable homes. “I know as you said, [that] NHC has been on a drive and our drive in the first instance is to complete 300 homes because we are committed to the people of the country in terms of housing. I believe it will [redound] to the benefit of the country – the housing that the Unity Homes will provide for the several hundred persons who would get them.”
Minister of Human Settlement, the Honourable Eugene Hamilton, congratulated the new homeowners and encouraged them to “take care of this place.” Speaking directly to the four recipients, Minister Hamilton further added that “the organization NHC will play a further role in the next coming week or weeks when we will ensure that anything that can be done to make them happy, will be done.”
While expressing thanks to Minister Hamilton for delivering on his promises of getting the homes completed and distributed, Minister Grant noted that the government of St. Kitts and Nevis is always under pressure to deliver homes and it will indeed deliver.
“I want to say to the people of the country that we will deliver. It takes time,” said Minister Grant. “As I told somebody the other day, getting a house [is not] like buying a bread. It takes time and we want to deliver a housing stock that is fitting for the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
Elreta Simpson-Browne, General Manager of NHC, said that her institution is proud to be able to “conduct yet another life changing activity”. She noted that in keeping with NHC’s motto in raising standards, the organization decided to partner with the home owners, especially after they showed great interest in helping themselves. She said NHC “stepped in and turned the place into a place that is requisite for comfortable living.”
