Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali declared open the new housing schemes Binkey Alley and Grassfield at Lusignan last Wednesday.
Ali handed over the schemes to Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Kellawan Lall at a simple ceremony hosted outside the Lusignan Learning Centre, a press release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said. Infrastructural works at the two locations, situated at parcels 99 and 179, Lusignan, were completed in record time, at a sum of about $136M, Ali said.
The minister went on to say that while infrastructural development is important, residents also need to establish a new relationship with the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) in order for progress in these areas to be real and meaningful. In addition, Ali said government has invested $70M on a new well at Good Hope in order to boost water supply in the community and at Lusignan.
Meanwhile, Lall, whose office oversees the NDCs, urged community leaders to organise themselves and take possession of the developmental process. He also said that paying rates and taxes for the land which they occupy is an integral part of that process. The minister said owing to the paucity of resources, residents need to be more active and vigilant about maintaining their communities.
According to Inter-American Development Bank representative Ophelie Chevalier her agency is proud of all its accomplishments in its long association with the CH&PA. The IDB is funding the Second Low Income Settlement (LIS) Programme) that will eventually provide subsidies to 20 housing schemes, of which 15 households from the Grassfield scheme will benefit. The CH&PA started allocating lots in Grassfield in 2006. There are currently 330 house lots with an occupancy rate of 70 per cent.
Binkey Alley, named after a popular resident of the area, was a squatting area that the ministry regularized this year. There are currently 60 house lots with about 300 persons. Utilities have been installed in both areas.
