Skip to playerSkip to main content
CCNTV6
  • 6 months ago
More funding is needed for housing.

So says the new Housing Minister Dr. David Lee who, along with one of his Junior Ministers, toured some construction sites under the Housing Development Corporation on Monday.

Alicia Boucher has the details.
Transcript
00:00Subsequent to visiting the HEC's Eden Gardens development,
00:08Housing Minister Dr. David Lee and Junior Housing Minister Philip Alexander
00:12ventured to the Edinburgh 500 Towers.
00:15Which is my constituency at Carly Central.
00:18So I'm very interested in these two towers.
00:22And from here we will go to the east in Arima
00:27and work our way back down into Fortispe.
00:29I have been happy with what I've seen so far.
00:32I think one of the biggest issues is really funding for HEC
00:37to really raise the level of housing stock.
00:40The contractors that I've seen so far, they have been doing good work.
00:43Dr. Lee states that while the 10 floors on the first tower are completed,
00:47there are certain issues to be sorted out,
00:49such as the contract for the elevators,
00:52which has to go out tender,
00:53and acquiring completion certificates,
00:56for example, from the fire service.
00:58These towers comprising 70 apartments each
01:01were designated under the previous PNM administration
01:04to cater to low-income earners under a rent-a-owned model
01:08with monthly payments ranging from $1,000 to $1,800.
01:14Dr. Lee tells us that some of the units are small,
01:16but they are structurally habitable.
01:18They have said in the first tower,
01:21they have allocated the approximately 70 units,
01:25and that was done before elections.
01:27From the minister's perspective, it raises eyebrows.
01:30That is a concern for me,
01:33because when I visited all these different sites
01:36that are under construction,
01:38a lot of those have been allocated already,
01:40which I have a concern about,
01:43but I will get into it and I will be able to answer
01:45in a better position at a point in time,
01:48but not today,
01:49and we expect to be that whole issue of allocation.
01:52But there have been allocations.
01:54I don't know if it was done as an election gimmick
01:58or election favor or something like that.
02:01Dr. Lee indicates that he is looking at finding ways
02:04to alleviate the problems of funding
02:06and a lack of timely payment to contractors.
02:09Some contractors had to slow down
02:11because they weren't getting the payments from HCC
02:14on a timely basis,
02:16and it would impact on the growth
02:18or the pace of the project.
02:22So, you know, we have to ensure
02:24that there is enough funding in place
02:28and to work and have a sort of a...
02:31My thinking is to have a hybrid, you know,
02:34sort of financing,
02:35working with more PPP, the private sector,
02:38and seeing how we can push the housing stock
02:41at a more rapid rate.
02:43Meanwhile, Dr. Lee says that he will look into
02:46a complaint by a resident of a sinkhole
02:48at the Exchange Housing Development in Coover,
02:51which has allegedly been there for around five years.
02:55That development is also said to be
02:56without mailing addresses.
02:58Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
Be the first to comment
Add your comment