Housing Ministry helps 25 families with housing grants

SOME 25 families from across TT were recognised as recipients for grants to help them provide shelter for their families, receiving $20,000 or $50,000, on Wednesday at a function at the Ministry of Housing, Port of Spain.

Housing Minister Camille Robinson-Regis in her feature address said studies showed a lack of suitable housing often leads to lower income generating opportunities, lower educational attainment for children, and a range of other negative implications for the wider society. The Government was therefore committed to providing appropriate housing solutions, particularly to the most vulnerable.

"Upward mobility for families who work hard and play by the rules is a fundamental value long upheld in TT." She supported such mobility for less-advantaged families.

"To this end, 25 eligible families who have completed a very vigorous but necessary screening process, will receive subsidies today, either for home construction or for home improvements through the Urban Upgrading and Revitalisation Programme.

"Indeed, I can say that one criteria that had to be met, and is scrupulously enforced is a maximum monthly household income of $8,000.

"Today, the 25 beneficiaries of new subsidy agreements are: 17 for Home Improvement (with a value of $20,000 each) and eight for Home Construction (with a value of $50,000, payable in two tranches of $25,000 on proof of progress)."

She said beneficiaries came from areas such as Longdenville, North Oropouche Road, Tarouba North, La Horquetta, Tacarigua, Edinburgh 500, Diego Martin, Morvant, Arima, St Augustine, Mt Lambert, Barataria, Tunapuna and Biche.

The minister said the Urban Upgrading and Revitalisation Programme which facilitated the grants was funded by a 2020 loan agreement signed with the Inter American Development Bank (IDB.)

Hailing the programme for its medium- and long-term goals of poverty reduction, she said the standard of living of thousands of families had been lifted by some 1,995 subsidies already processed, namely 1,188 for Home Improvement Subsidies and 807 were for Home Construction Subsidies.

"Residents of local communities have also benefited as construction works have allowed single-mothers, tradesmen, labourers, semi-skilled workers and their respective families to earn an income, whilst also increasing revenues for hardwares and other construction material suppliers. This, of course, has the knock on advantage of creating ripple or multiplier effects leading to increased economic activity."

Robinson-Regis also lauded the fact that many recipients were women.

"When money is placed in the hands of women, it always seems to stretch further and achieve more, than when it is placed elsewhere."

She said on Tuesday she had distributed keys to 60 families, for houses in the vast HDC network, for 165 recipients in total.

The minister said 362 families in all had benefited from completed houses, starter houses, fully developed housing lots, or certificates of comfort over the last few months.

"When we add the 25 families who will benefit from these subsidies, we have a total of 387 families benefiting from state-sponsored housing assistance.," she said.

"As a Government, we have outlined our plan to make affordable, quality housing available to more families and this plan includes improving the current stock of housing through subsidies like the ones you are signing for today."