Habitat director concerned about decline in housing construction

Its national director, Jennifer Massiah, said this was “primarily because a large number of programme applicants cannot meet our land-tenure criterion and are unable to repay our very modest monthly mortgage.

“This has been a major stumbling block, as these families and children are in need of decent, affordable housing.”

In order to keep its “shelter mandate” commitment to more home owners, she said, the organisation had “significantly increased our support for renovations, completions and materials loans, intensified community activities and enthusiastically pursued innovative fundraising and new revenue streams.”

Massiah shared the organisation’s concerns in the Shelter Report 2016 issued to the media on February 8.

Referring to the current recession, she said this had led to six of Habitat’s long-standing donors and one major construction manufacturer choosing not to renew their commitments to its programmes.

But this was somewhat balanced by the addition of “four new major donors who rose to the occasion to support our work,” Massiah said.

“We will continue to build on our relations with the nine continuing major donors, the several SMEs, and thousands of groups and individuals who faithfully honour their pledges of financial support.

The humanitarian gestures from small, medium and mega in-kind donors also continue to be astonishing: we have benefited from supplies in materials and/or services, discounts for construction materials, transportation, tools and equipment, mattresses, toiletries, food, water, decorations, entertainment, accommodation and equipment for special events.”

Massiah thanked donors for their trust in the organisation and for “standing side by side with our home owners. We ask that you encourage your peers to freely offer their time, talent and treasure also, as together we can make a difference.”

Habitat for Humanity’s “construction successes” in 2016 included its first Tobago house and the start of a major disaster-risk-reduction project in Moriah, as well as implementing partnerships with “Land for the Landless” and the Programme Monitoring and Co-ordinating Unit of the Ministry of Housing.

“These programmes added great value to support our product offerings,” Massiah said.