HDC Director: Shoddy construction work won't be tolerated

Contractors hired by the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) to build housing and rental units are expected to provide value for money, according to its managing director Brent Lyons on Friday.

Lyons made the remarks to a Joint Select Committee on rental regulations at the Arnold Thomasos Room, Cabildo Building, St Vincent Street, Port of Spain, where he sought to assure the members that all was being done to ensure quality work was done on all units.

He said ensuring a high quality of buildings have always been a high priority of the HDC and contractors were not allowed to "cut corners" in their work.

"At every stage of the construction process you have to meet the requirements and you have to have safety plans outlined to ensure that it was done properly. If it's not done properly they may have to break down a couple walls in order for it to be done again.

"You can't get paid unless you work right, so get it right the first time and we will not have an issue. We have works and project managers on the ground overseeing the works to ensure the contractors are working. We really don't want shoddy work being done and I challenge the committee to tell us what they're seeing based on the quality of the products of the HDC if there are any flaws."

Responding to questions from committee chairman and Independent Senator Paul Richards on the spatial planning and socio-economic considerations for housing projects, Lyons said the HDC's design team assisted in planning to not only accomodate the corporation's clients but also to encourage better socialisation.

"One of the concepts that drives the (design) team is design to change behaviour. When we do the designs we have to go to the Town and Country Planning Division to get approval and unless we have certain things included in the plan like spaces for recreation, commercial spaces you won't get approval, so that is our focus."