Pay your rent — You don’t pay; you don’t stay

Warning that the National Housing Authority (NHA) would not be “friendly” to them if they failed to honour financial commitments, Housing Minister Keith Rowley is urging first time homeowners to keep the Government’s housing programme afloat so that others can benefit from the programme.

Addressing the small gathering at the handing over of keys ceremony to Phase 2 of the Oropune Housing Development, Piarco, yesterday, Rowley begged the recipients to allow others to fulfil their dream of owning their own homes by paying their mortgages. He told them, “You have a responsibility to pay your mortgage and your rent, as these are national resources put to use to house you and your family.”

Acknowledging that there was “still some skepticism in the country concerning whether or not there is a housing programme, if it is well-meaning and if targets can be achieved,” the minister emphatically stated “there is a massive housing programme currently underway.” Claiming that it was “from Tobago to Point Fortin, Mayaro to Diego Martin, Buen Intento to San Fernando, Chaguanas to Caroni and Valencia,” Rowley drew a round of applause from the audience as he said both small and large contractors across the country were involved in the construction of housing units throughout TT.

Revealing that too many citizens were living in sub-standard conditions, and that many more were desirous of improving their living conditions, he stated “the Government as the trustee of the nation’s purse has embarked on this massive programme.” Disclosing that over the next ten years Government was hoping to house 100,000 families in improved living conditions, it is hoped that the programme would impact on the social infrastructure of the country. Praising the fact that many young persons were learning skills in the housing programme, Rowley recognised that while “we know that we have detractors, we will not be distracted by that.”

Following the completion of this project, it is expected that the fears of everyone will be allayed, in addition to accommodating persons on the “lower end of the scale.” Rowley concluded that there had been a need to convince the banking sector to accommodate persons in the NHA programme as they “were afraid the rate of foreclosure would be too high.”