Government has built 1 600 houses in three years, but fell short of the target of 2 000.
Minister of Housing Dwight Sutherland gave the assurance that they were still pursuing the ambitious goal.
“I don’t mind the naysayers who criticise and say we can’t build 10 000 houses. Between 2022 and the end of the financial year 2024-2025, this Government built 1 600 houses. One thousand was attributed to the public sector and others to the private sector.
“While we did not achieve the 2 000 target, we went close. My target, the Government’s target for this year, remains 2 000. We are pushing towards it,” Sutherland said.
He made those comments yesterday during the official opening of Clifden Development, St Philip, where 11 DuraVilla hardwood houses were constructed.
Sutherland said 500 more DuraVilla houses were expected to be constructed.
“We have recently signed a contract with DuraVilla to produce 500 more hardwood houses across the landscape of this country. These houses will begin to roll into this country in the very near future,” he added.
“What is critical to the housing programme is infrastructure. Infrastructure relates to the services, electricity, and water and gas lines. We intend to do the infrastructural development in phases,” Sutherland added.
He said 89 houses would be constructed at Concordia Gardens (Dodds North), 100 at Lower Burney, St Michael, 150 at Bright Hall, St Lucy, 73 at Gingerworks, St Joseph and 22 at Ebenezer, while the others will be split between Belleplaine, St Andrew and Todds, St George.
He said the Lower Burney development was expected to reduce the burden on the Pine, St Michael.
“The design for the roads has been completed at Lower Burney. We will tender for the infrastructural works and we will do it in phases. We intend to complete phase one infrastructural within three months, so we can start some houses.
“The National Housing Corporation (NHC) has 920 units in the Pine. We have different generations
living in a two-bedroom unit; as many as ten to 12 persons living in a unit.
“This has been allowed to exist over the years and that’s why this Government announced in 2022, a housing revolution, an ambitious one, because we need to address these issues not just in the Pine,” he added.
He also spoke about the composition of the DuraVilla Homes which utilize a modular construction system incorporating sustainable materials, including pre-cut and pre-fabricated timber, and often feature sustainable tropical hardwoods like greenheart.
He said the houses’ light cement panels blended with steel structures and were resistant to category four or five hurricanes and high temperatures.
Sutherland also mentioned the Home Ownership Providing Energy (HOPE) developments at Pools, St John; Vespera Gardens, Lancaster, St James and other areas which he said would contribute to the count.
The DuraVilla homes were imported from Guyana and were constructed through a collaboration between NHC and Home Ownership Providing Energy.
Ten of the homes were situated on Government land while one of the householders provided the land for the 11th property.
Meanwhile, Sonia Gale, one of the 11 homeowners who moved into the Clifden community, said she was proud of her accomplishment.
Gale, 60, received the keys a few months ago, but moved in at the end of January.
“I feel very contented to own my home at this age. A lot of people are not getting to my age and don’t own their own home, so I am blessed,” Gale said.
(TG)
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