Rowley: Domestic violence cause of housing shortage
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE in TT is one of the leading reasons why the National Housing Authority (NHA) is flooded with more than 70,000 applicants for houses. Of this 70,000, 60 percent of the applicants are from the East/West corridor, and more than half of the applicants are women. At the same time, out of the 70,000 applicants who want cheap affordable homes, 41 percent of applicants work for under $3,000 and cannot afford a mortgage. This was revealed by Housing Minister, Diego Martin West MP, Dr Keith Rowley, as he addressed residents of Diego Martin and environs yesterday during the sod turning ceremony for two new housing developments — Victoria Keyes and Four Roads Terrace. Victoria Keyes has 344 units which includes townhouses and apartments, and 94 apartments will be constructed at Four Roads Terrace. Rowley said that domestic violence was putting a strain on the Ministry of Housing, causing women to flock to his office in search of homes. "Males are not taking responsibility for their families, especially in the East/West corridor. This is causing a problem on the Government, and we cannot continue to always encourage this behaviour," said Rowley. Rowley admitted there was a chronic shortage of housing in TT, and most people could only afford to rent. To alleviate the problem, the Ministry of Housing will be building 100,000 homes over the next ten years (10,000 houses per year). Rowley discouraged people who have available land and the resources to build from waiting on the NHA for houses. "If you want a house, begin to think along the lines. You either have to pay or rent, the NHA does not give away free houses," said Rowley. For the fiscal year, the sod has been turned for 6,330 houses, and 1,000 more are expected from the Urban Renewal Programme. Other projects soon to come to the Diego Martin area include a new modern secondary school for children living in the area, and the construction of a new Diego Martin Corporation town hall. Also present at the sod turning ceremony were Trade and Industry Minister Ken Valley and Port-of-Spain Mayor Murchison Brown.
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"Rowley: Domestic violence cause of housing shortage"