HYPE, MuST lead housing thrust

HOUSING MINISTER Dr Keith Rowley said the young trainees of the Helping Youths Prepare for Employment (HYPE) and the Multi-Sector Skills Training (MuST) programmes are performing yeoman service in reducing the nation’s housing shortages and their efforts have been particularly evident in UNC stronghold constituencies. Speaking during the Budget debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Dr Rowley revealed: “In Kelly Village in Caroni, we have given them contracts and they have built 50 houses in the HYPE programme. They are now on standby to move to another site because the programme worked so well that we will multiply it across this country.” Rowley brought a smile to Science, Technology and Tertiary Education Minister Colm Imbert’s face when he added: “The MuST, we are taking that on board as well, providing training in the construction programme of the Ministry of Housing. We have five sites earmarked for MuST people.”

Some of the areas where MuST trainees will be constructing houses include Ramgoolie Trace in Curepe, Carlsen Field, Tarouba and Point Fortin. Other areas earmarked for HYPE and MuST trainees to undertake housing include Union Hall and Harmony Hall. “These are experiments that are working and we are taking young people from idleness into productive work. One year ago, they were building nothing. Come lime by the wayside, plotting to do wrong. Now, they are saying to you, we built those houses. High quality (houses) and with a level of responsibility,” Rowley declared. The Minister said while a 1993 study under the first Manning Administration indicated that 115,000 houses were required to solve Trinidad and Tobago’s housing shortage, a subsequent study in 2000 indicated that “we really require about 9,800 houses per year to treat with the shortage in the country.”

“I don’t think any member in this House would disagree that there is a shortage of housing in TT. There is a significant shortage especially in the urban areas and in the East-West Corridor in particular. “This PNM Government has made it quite clear to the country and the world that our objective is the quality of life and standard of living of all our people within a particular time. Our commitment to making TT a developed country by the year 2020 is there for all to see and we stand by that commitment,” Rowley declared. In response, St Joseph MP Gerald Yetming said the Opposition had no problems with Government’s efforts to solve the nation’s housing problems but merely asked that the entire process be transparent.