Take pride in your homes

Melisa Ali is all smiles as she receives the keys to her new HDC home during a key distribution ceremony yesterday in D’Abadie.
Melisa Ali is all smiles as she receives the keys to her new HDC home during a key distribution ceremony yesterday in D’Abadie.

NEW owners of Housing Development Corporation (HDC) units should take pride in their homes as it is an investment in their future and the future of their children.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said this yesterday at a housing distribution ceremony at the Trestrail Lands Housing Development in D’Abadie. He said whatever sacrifices they made now would last for generations to come. The keys for 82 units for single families were handed over and several new owners eagerly put those keys to use as they unlocked their doors for the first time to view their new homes.

The housing project was started in May 2014, but was suspended from June 2016 - May 2017. It was restarted in May 2017 and is expected to yield a total of 936 units, including town houses and apartments.

Hanover Construction Co Limited was responsible for Phase I of the project with a contract of $564,290,201. MP for Lopinot/Bon Air West Cherrie-Ann Crichlow-Cockburn said there were over 170,000 families awaiting units from the HDC.

However, Rowley said they needed a more realistic figure. He said in a country with 1.3 million people, he was doubtful that there were so many applicants. Rowley said some families may have applied more than once with a husband, then the wife or other relatives all applying in the hope of increasing their chances of obtaining a house.

The PM said the new owners should take care of the houses so the market value would not decrease, but instead remain steady or even increase.

“The quality of houses today can withstand scrutiny. We don’t want to see sneakers hung up on lines, or clothes hung in windows. You do not have to be restricted as to being uncomfortable. The least you can do is behave in a civilised manner,” Rowley advised.

The PM urged the HDC to collect the rent due for rental units and told the new owners that the mortgage they took out was their first responsibility towards their family. Rowley said the money the owners were paying was not the real cost of the houses as the state absorbed much of those costs. He said the state paid for the infrastructure and the development was heavily subsidised by the Government.

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"Take pride in your homes"

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