Minister of Social Protection Volda Lawrence has assured residents living in a rundown section of Lombard Street that government intends to provide a comprehensive housing solution to meet the individual needs of families at an affordable cost.
During an outreach exercise in Lombard and Broad streets over the weekend, the minister told residents that their voices were heard at the recent elections and that government will make interventions, a report from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said. However, she cautioned them that the changes will not happen overnight as their challenges are wide-ranging and it will take strategic planning to adequately address them.
Lawrence further informed the residents, many of whom live in cramped shacks and sleep on the floor that the new administration will be working to establish better housing solutions that will cater to individual needs. According to GINA, some residents told the minister that they had applied to the Housing Ministry several years ago and are still waiting for a response. Others disclosed that they were invited to the ministry and asked to pay $200,000 to acquire homes under a Food for the Poor initiative. However, for many of them that sum was exorbitant and they were not given any to obtain the money.
While acknowledging that some residents have difficulty paying for the house lots issued to them, and others can ill-afford the high mortgages, Lawrence said the new housing plans would see homes built to suit the individual needs of families at an affordable cost. In the meanwhile, she urged them to be patient and reiterated that the relevant authorities are working on new strategies to address their concerns.
