Beckles hands over house keys in Point Fortin

Minister of Housing and Urban Development Pennelope Beckles has presented two families with keys to their new homes under the ministry’s Housing and Village Improvement Programme.

Josephine Douglas, 78, and Delores Hercules, 52, were given the keys to their new homes in Point Fortin on Wednesday.

In a media release, the ministry said the programme is geared toward improving the living conditions in impoverished rural communities at both an individual and a community level.
Financing for the home improvements is provided by the Land Settlement Agency and small contractors within the community or environs are solicited, to keep the cost of construction down to $120,000 per starter unit.

The release said the programme, which started in 2017, has to date affected the lives of 195 families in 12 communities and provided employment for over 1,000 people.

“This administration has always been responsive to the needs of our most vulnerable citizens and today’s event highlights the Government’s commitment in ensuring that our public sector housing solutions remain affordable and accessible to those who need them the most,” Beckles said on Wednesday.