Two of the recipients receiving the keys to their new homes
As Government stays true to its vision of providing a better quality of life for all, another five families on Friday received keys to their brand-new homes under the Core Home Support programme.
The handing-over signals new beginnings for these families, who once had to endure less-than-desirable living conditions. Minister Susan Rodrigues, Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry, shared in the proud moment with the Stanford, Duncan, and Paul families earlier this afternoon as she handed over their keys and Certificates of Inspection.
Leon Standford, with his wife and two children, will soon be moving into his new home at Westminster, as would Helena Duncan and her family of four; while Sophia Paul, with her three children and one granddaughter, will be moving into her home at Recht-door-Zee, West Bank Demerara (WBD).
Having received his keys, Standford expressed his gratitude to the Inter-American Development Bank, the Government, and the Ministry s team, whom he said were relentless in seeing the project to the end.
He explained that, for years, he and his family had occupied a wooden structure, which they had recently demolished to pave the way for the construction of his new home, once he learned he had qualified for the Core Home under the Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility programme.
We had a small wooden house, and I didn’t have all the convenience. I have a wife and two kids, one of my daughters is writing CXC, and now we all have a place we can call home, Stanford expressed.
One of the core homes that were handed over on Friday
Similar sentiments were expressed by Helena Duncan, who said it finally feels great to have her own home, without the fear of being asked to vacate at any time; and she can finally put her personal touch on making the house a home for herself, two daughters and granddaughter.
For Paul, moving into her own home marks the end of her paying thousands of dollars in rent.
Minister Rodrigues has congratulated these first-time homeowners, noting that she is pleased to see the programme meeting its intended target audience.
The Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Program is a main feature in our housing programme, and targets the most vulnerable population; and that is through the Core Home Support component, and this allows families to acquire a home almost free of cost, she explained.
Each home features two bedrooms, a kitchen unit, and indoor sanitary facilities, and each home is valued at $5 million. The homeowners have each made a contribution of $100,000 to the realization of their dreams.
Since the start of the programme in 2017, a total of one hundred and five families have to date each received keys to their homes. Under the Core Home Support initiative, a total of 323 beneficiaries have been selected, with 96 Core Homes occupied, 16 being under construction, another eight to soon be handed over, and 188 being at the procurement stage.
In Region Three, West Bank Demerara, 124 beneficiaries were selected, 50 homes have been handed over, 40 are being occupied, and 64 are at the procurement stage.
