670 more houses for East/West corridor

While Housing Minister Dr Keith Rowley expressed satisfaction with the housing drive, he noted, however, that he was disturbed about reports that there is a shortage of construction aggregate in the country, which will result in the higher prices of homes.

In Arima yesterday at a ceremony to start construction of houses at Cleaver Heights, Cleaver Road, Arima, La Goya, Goya Road, El Dorado and Peas Tree at Caura, the minister said there was a "serious and real need" for houses. He said there are 70,000 applications at the National Housing Authority (NHA) to date. He said he would be satisfied that the housing problem is solved when he no longer receives emotional letters and the number of persons outside NHA "begging for houses" was reduced significantly.

Rowley commended private contractors and other landowners for joining with the NHA and the ministry to provide affordable houses, but he added that it was inconceivable to think that land was lying around with outline approval as was the case at Cleaver Heights. He acknowledged that the systems and agencies were not organised to convert bush into rooms, and the time had come to create additional policies from the housing policies.

Rowley, who returned on Sunday from the United Kingdom with other officials from the Housing Ministry, said having met ministers of housing in England and Scotland and other stakeholders in the housing sector, they would now "digest and measure the information," and in the next "few months go to Cabinet with a further enhanced policy for the housing programme."

However, he said he was disturbed about the shortage of construction aggregate, pointing out that if we are to do things right and become a developed nation then we must be able to "crush enough stone to make enough aggregate." He said if "we are not doing that, then we are doing something wrong and there is a price for that." He said such a situation will result in higher prices of concrete, bricks, walls and houses. However, he reminded suppliers and other persons involved in construction that they had a key role in the success of the programme, especially in the contest of affordability.

NHA Chief executive, Noel Garcia, announced that the authority was well on the way to achieving its target of building 6,300 houses this year. He said in addition to the rental, rent-to-own and mortgage options now available, new initiatives will soon be offered.

Later this week, 150 completed units will be handed out to residents in Southern Gardens, Point Fortin.

Garcia said 408 units will be built at Cleaver Heights, 162 at La Goya and 100 at Peas Tree. They will comprise two and three-bedroom single units, townhouses and duplexes priced between $175,000 to $290,000.

NH International (Caribbean) Ltd are construction managers on the Cleaver Heights project which will be completed in 12 months; Home Construction Ltd (HCL) is in charge of La Goya, which is scheduled to be completed in November 2006, and Building Concepts and Construction Ltd are in charge of Peas Tree which will take 18 months.