The government on Thursday handed out letters of offer for 46 housing lots to residents of Spring Village, Chateaubelair and Fitz Hughes, the second such exercise last week.
A similar exercise was conducted in Adelphi on Thursday, where 23 lots were handed out, and lots will be handed out in Noel and Magum in the Sandy Bay area this Friday.
The letter are being distributed as the government seeks to regularize the status of persons who have occupied state lands for some time.
These persons are being offered them the opportunity to purchase these lands below market price.
“This is indeed a great moment for North Leeward and for St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” Minister of Housing Montgomery Daniel told the ceremony in Spring Village on Friday.
He said that time will show that the Unity Labour Party government has and will continue to deliver to poor and working class people.
“Surely the government’s policy of land distribution is an outstanding one; one that is ensuring dead capital becomes live,” he said.
Daniel said that since coming to office in 2001, the ULP administration has made 4,170 lots of land made available to Vincentians.
He noted that this averages about 300 lot a years, and 25 lots per month.
“This administration wants to see all of us having our own land with a proper house on that land, wherein our overall lifestyle, our living standards can be lifted,” Daniel said.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves reiterated his government’s view that housing is a human right.
“What the scriptures is telling us, the fox got its hole and the birds got they nests. Where is yours?
“So it’s a human right, and it is the business of the government, this government, to facilitate the people of this country to have quality housing at affordable prices,” he said.
Gonsalves said that between 2001 and 2012, the housing stock in St. Vincent and the Grenadines increased by over 25 per cent.
He said the lot distributed by his government average 3,700 square feet each and have a market value of an average of EC$4 per square foot.
“You are talking about 60 million dollars worth of land which this government has distributed,” Gonsalves said, adding that his government has distributed more housing lots than all previous governments combined.
Gonsalves said his government has also built 1,300 low-income houses and some 200 houses for persons affected by storms.
“If you have those 1,500 houses and you value them, the house and the land, conservatively, at 60,000 dollars per house, that’s 90 million dollars. You see you already reaching between the distribution of the land, in terms of the value, and the houses built, 150 million dollars?” Gonsalves said.
Just because the PM says a house is a basic human right doesn’t make it true if only because it is superseded by his belief that he has a basic human right to be re-elected if he hands out enough free stuff — subverting market forces (in this case artificially deflating land prices) and devaluing human initiative and the work ethic — to ensure that enough voters become so dependent on him that they will have to keep him in power.
David you are of course right, that is why the Falseman Bonadie has to attack you, they cannot allow any right to creep into the equation. They must paint over their wrongs in an attempt to make them appear right.
Peter, your comment didn’t surprise me, you and that C Ben is like two wine up dolls filled with hot win.
You don’t even know what’s right even if it hit you plum in the face.
Peter ,You two guys make me laugh, your comment on Ralph show that both of you are simply jealous of Ralph.
Vincentian people will not allow you or C Ben to govern them, so you chose to act like spoilt brats, by writhing irresponsible comments on Ralph in order to discredit him, and in the meantime perhaps you think that Vincentians will look at that LAZY Eustace, ain’t happening.
Gentlemen , I think you are two romantic fools.
C Ben,
I saw the article, on the Government handing out letters for housing, then I said to myself, I bet that C Ben is going to comment and critize it all, with some backward and donkey cart chatter ,and then I said let me open the page to see if I am right. Woo… Pee… I was right.
You are predictable my friend, that means I can pull your chain and you have to answer.
You are a coward just like that other ” donkey ” call Donald Trump.
If you are so Darm smart and feel you know what’s right for the Homeland then why don’t you call and have a meeting with Ralph Gonsalves.
Knowing you ,you’ll hide behind the bushes and point your fingers,or stick your tongue out, for being afraid to talk.
I am very impressed with the present government approach towards housing in St. Vincent.
I pray that it may be able to distribute a few more hundreds before the end of the year.
I wish someone can let the administration know that the name of the country is ST Vincent and the GRENADINES.
It appears that either the citizens of the Grenadines are not in need of governments assistance or the government has no interest in the citizens of the grenadines.
It is time the government begin to have lands and house available for Grenadines people
I think this is an opportunity that many poor Vincentians never had for years. The honour of owning a piece of land and a title deed. This can be passed on to other children for years to come. Excellent job Mr. Prime Minister you are showing your love for the people of SVG not only in words but in deed.
It is good that poor vincentians can benefit from this however this is not a case of the government giving poor people lands.The government is giving them an invitation to purchase lands that they would have occupied for donkey years.In other words they have to purchase the lands before they can get an official deed.To purchase the land it requires money.I hope the poor vincentians have the money to purchase the lands from the caring prime minister.