Destroying culture of self-help

It is my view that the sum total of government’s housing policy can be summarised by the statement made by the Managing Director of the Housing Development Corporation, Noel Garcia, when at a visit to Tarondale Gardens, he said “by the end of this year the first 150 keys would be handed over to the new home owners of Tarondale Gardens.” In other words, Government’s entire housing policy can be summed up in four words, “Give them a key.”

Government has an almost endless supply of finances and it has the land available.

With these resources, the short sighted solution to the housing problem is the course that the Government has adopted. In so doing, the Government will destroy an entire culture of self-help.

Our people have a tradition of building their own homes and whenever this has been done, one would find the most beautiful housing developments. Examples are Union Hall, Harmony Hall and Couva North built by the NAR.

I suppose it will be too much to expect the PNM to make a connection between their present housing policy of “give them a key” to the breakdown of our society and the criminal activity that exists.