Eighty-seven affordable homes will soon be built at two new Housing Every Last Person (HELP) sites in St. James.

During a tour today, Housing Minister, Michael Lashley, revealed that 42 houses will be constructed at Lancaster Phase 1, and 45 at Lancaster Phase 2, located at the bottom of Orange Hill.

Infrastructural works are currently being carried out by C.O. Williams Construction Limited, and are expected to be completed in approximately 12 weeks. ??Construction is scheduled to begin either in late December or early January and, according to Minister Lashley, small contractors would be utilised at those sites, as well as at Parish Land, St. Philip, where an additional 92 houses will be built.??

Acting General Manager of the National Housing Corporation, Lanette Napoleon-Young, said the Lancaster projects will comprise "Starter Homes" similar in design to those built at Marchfield in St Philip.??

"Ten per cent of the project will consist of 595 square foot starter homes. ??However, Lancaster 2 will also comprise … five, 710 square foot, three-bedroom starter homes," she stated.

Lancaster 2 will also include 10 commercial lots to give small business persons an opportunity to generate income.??

"Once we put in the base course then we can start the construction of the houses.?? The tenders have been completed and are currently being evaluated, and we’ve had from my understanding over 100 tenders from small contractors to build those 200 houses within the three sites.???? The tender date is closed and it is now left to the Board and Chairman of the Board to meet and make those evaluations and to make a determination on the contractors who will be working on the site," Minister Lashley added.

The Housing Minister, who was accompanied on the tour by senior management of the NHC, noted that the Corporation had a number of projects to launch in the coming weeks at Tweedside Road and Country Park Towers in St. Michael; Four Hill and French Village in St. Peter; Greens in St. George; and River Crescent in St. Philip.??

"So from here we will have a very packed programme delivering homes and land to Barbadians," he asserted.?? lbayley@barbados.gov.bb

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