Minister of Housing, Lands and Maintenance, Dr. William Duguid, is pleased at the response to the National Housing Corporation’s (NHC) Land Fair held last Saturday, at Deanstown Heights, St. James.
Speaking to the media at the event, Minister Duguid said the 62 available lots, ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 square feet, were sold within two hours.
“I am very, very happy at the tremendous support that was given to us to start this project, the first 62 lots. That brings a total of 140 lots that have been made available here at Deanstown Heights …. I think it gives us a tremendous start to be able to house the nation.”
The lots were being sold at $18.00 a square foot.
He added that Deanstown Heights was the first of three land fairs to be organised by the NHC, and the next one would be held at Lancaster Phase Three.
According to him, the NHC hopes to break ground at Lancaster next month to construct roads, to bring 183 lots into production for people to get shelter.
Dr. Duguid disclosed that the other areas earmarked for sale are at Colleton, St. John, with 72 lots; Chancery Lane, Christ Church, with 200 lots, and at Pool, St. John.
He also shared that a new programme would be coming soon, where owners of derelict houses or vacant land lots would be able to partner with the NHC to fix up houses and put them up for rent and share the proceeds.
This, he said, would add to the housing solutions in Barbados. Minister Duguid also spoke about the database of 32,000 applications for houses, which was currently being worked on, to find out who still needed houses because some persons had applied two and three times.