By L.K. Hewlett
St. Kitts Reporter
Two more of the government housing projects have been completed and are now awaiting occupancy.
The townhouses built at Horsford Road, Central Basseterre and at Taylors Village each have living, dining and washing areas, and kitchen on the fist floor and two bedrooms and one bathroom on the second. The homes came with plumbing and lighting fixtures along with tiling and cupboards. The tenants however would have to share a common yard.
Minister of Land and Housing Hon. Cedric Liburd had said in May that the houses were built adjoined because ‘in the Basseterre area you don’t have as much land as areas outside of town’.
Successful applicants are expected to receive keys to the town house complex at Central Basseterre as early as this.
General Manager of the National Housing Corporation (NHC) Wayland Vaughn took Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas and Minister responsible for Housing Hon. Cedric Liburd along with respective parliamentary representatives for the areas on a tour of the two complexes being constructed at Central Basseterre and at Taylor’s Range in East Basseterre.
Prime Minister Douglas was quoted as saying “Again I emphasize that a promise made is a promise kept. We continue to live to the basic commitments that were outlined in our (St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party) manifesto for 2004 when we were last elected.”
The complex at Central Basseterre features five structures that accommodate 25 housing units while the facility at Taylor’s has 10 housing units which should be completed in several weeks.
Honourable Cedric Liburd said that the government continues to look at the shortage of housing throughout St. Kitts is working closely with the National Housing Corporation and also with contractors throughout the country to ensure that they are able to find the solution to providing housing for the people of St. Kitts.
Minister Liburd mentioned some other housing initiatives which government will undertake in the near future including the additions to NEMA starter homes.
“We also have the NEMA Improvement Homes (locally referred to as ‘half a hog heads’) where the government has agreed to add the second half to the original structure. Government is putting in at least EC $1.5 million to make sure that we can fund this project.”
The Government had asserted that the townhouses were not low-income homes, but were instead ‘middle income level’.
According to the local rumor mill, the houses were given to people in the low income bracket and some persons had to ‘turn them back in’ to National Housing Corporation. The source said that the initial rent for the new homes was EC $1000, which was beyond the financial means of many. This person told The Observer that they had personally spoken with Wayland Vaughn, the agency’s manager who told them that the cost per month was $800.
Up till press time, Vaughn could not be reached for comment or confirmation of this claim.
