Home and Village Improvement Programme transforming lives, communities, says San Fernando West MP

SAN Fernando West MP Faris Al-Rawi says the Home and Village Improvement Programme (HVIP) is making a positive difference in people's lives, building families and communities.

He made this comment during a function on December 21 at his constituency office on Independence Avenue, San Fernando to distribute keys to starter homes under HVIP to some of his constituents who live on the Marabella Train Line.

The HVIP falls under the Land Settlement Agency (LSA).

Al-Rawi said many people do not know the history of the HVIP or the positive impact it has been having since its inception in 2015.

He recalled there was a fire on the train line on December 25 then and two homes were destroyed.

Al-Rawi said at that time, he thought about how he could not only help the families affected by that tragedy but also improve the community along the train line as well.

He added the community and other people rallied to help the affected families rebuild their homes

Al-Rawi said this sparked an idea in his mind about how homes in impoverished communities could be improved to uplift people and communities.

The Prime Minister, he continued, saw the poor condition of certain people's homes in Moruga during a subsequent visit there and decided something should be done to address this.

While the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) does its best to provide housing for people who need it, Al-Rawi said it is challenging for the HDC to meet the needs of some 270,000 people by building approximately 3,000 homes.

"On the other hand, going into the communities and redeveloping the communities makes a huge difference."

Al-Rawi said some of the constituents who were present benefited from getting starter homes under HVIP.

He added they were "testimony to what a community can do together."

HIVP, Al-Rawi continued, involves self-help and family help, with some of the labour to build homes coming from the community itself.

He identified Vistabella, Embacadere and Marabella Train Line as three communities which have benefited from HVIP

Al-Rawi recalled shacks, pig pens and chicken coops dominating the landscape along the train line when he was first elected MP in September 2015.

Today, he said that landscape has changed, with modern, large-scale housing now occupying that same space.

Al-Rawi added that waterfront and recreational facilities are also being created there.

He said these changes allow people once regarded as squatters to move from "invisibility to visibility."

Al-Rawi told his audience, "A squatter is invisible to the government, a bank, the court and to their children, because you don't own land and therefore you can't mortgage it."

This has changed under HVIP.

"Under this HVIP, we have developed a system where we get land tenure."

He said land tenure means there is an initial lease which "gives you the right to own the place you are living in, the right to leave it to your children."

Al-Rawi added this can be used as collateral with a bank when applying for a mortgage.

"This constitutes a step towards land ownership and immediately, as you begin to own land, a community develops."

He repeated this is what makes HVIP one of the most important things the government has done to improve people's lives and build communities.

Al-Rawi said the government has increased the amount of money allocated to this programme "to allow more and more people to come in as contractors in this programme, with a ceiling of up to $250,000 in some cases"

He added this creates opportunities for people in these communities to become entrepreneurs.

Al-Rawi said several homes have been built under the HVIP in San Fernando, and 50 are currently in development. He added there will be further distribution of homes in January.

Before he was elected MP, he said, communities like the Marabella Train Line were treated as if they did not exist.

"This (HVIP) provides a permanent sustainable solution. A redevelopment of a community."

He said this is part of wider efforts to develop San Fernando.

"We couldn't just focus on the (San Fernando) waterfront. The waterfront would have yielded commercial and high-end space."

Al-Rawi said land reclaimed to develop the waterfront "looks like Rio de Janeiro, it literally looks like the beachfront at Copacabana."

But he added, "That does not service the rest of San Fernando."

Al-Rawi, who was re-elected in 2020 and is standing for re-election next year, said, "Anybody that's looking to understand San Fernando. San Fernando can't be run from one spot with one community."

Any representative must service all of San Fernando.

"That is, upper end...lower end and in the middle."

Al-Rawi was satisfied with the progress of development work in San Fernando.

"Very much so, because San Fernando is divided into multiple areas of development."

He listed housing development, squatter regularisation, High Street and Harris Promenade developments and local economic development booths in HDC communities.

"This is a blitz across San Fernando."

LSA chairman Alan Miguel supported Al-Rawi's comments about HVIP.

"This gives you a chance here now to have a good home."

Miguel added that it would lift children who grow up in that home from the stigma of living in poverty.

Five San Fernando West constituents received keys at the function. Later in the day, 17 keys were also handed to San Fernando East constituents.

LSA officials also visited Moruga and Naparima later to distribute keys to five and eight recipients in these respective areas.