Govt spends $24M to meet housing needs

Government has spent over $24 million purchasing lands from private owners in order to “meet the needs” of its housing programme. Housing Minister Martin Joseph revealed this in the Senate yesterday in response to a question from UNC Senator Wade Mark. In some instances, Government paid as much as $335.48  per sq metre of land. Land at Vistabella, for example, cost this much. As Joseph named areas in the marginal seats, Opposition MPs whistled. “San Fernando West, again.

Why are we surprised?” UNC MP Robin Montano asked rhetorically. Joseph, in itemising the parcels of land and their prices, stated that Government paid $4.4 million for lands at ByPass Road, Arima; $3.7 million for lands at Lady Young Road; $3.2 million for lands at Upper Mendez Drive, Champ Fleurs; $1.9 million for lands at Carib Gardens, Arima; $671,894 for lands at Green St, Tunapuna; $4.3 million for lands at Circular Road, San Fernando; $1.1 million for lands at El Dorado Road, Tunapuna; $950,393 for lands at Purcell Street, Vistabella; $4 million for Todd Street, San Fernando; $500,000 for lands at Church St, La Romaine and $388,140 for lands at Chin Aleong Road, La Romaine. The names of the private owners of these lands are RA Mohammed Estates Limited; Junior Elgin Sammy; Vistaplan Limited; Malabar Farms Development Company Limited; Futura Enterprises Limited and Hafeez Karamath Limited; Trevor Hewitt and Elizabeth Hewitt; Vencor Investments Limited, Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago; Abdul and Naziran Mohammed and Merle Clothilda Hope.