By Devina Samaroo
Though not many are keen about living in a duplex, two first-time home owners cannot wait to enjoy the experience. Minister within the Ministry of Communities Valerie Patterson Yearwood on Tuesday handed over the keys to the first three beneficiaries of the Perseverance Housing Scheme.
The Minister was happy that two of the beneficiaries found favour with the duplex initiative as the concept was not well received in other parts of the country.
“People are not desirous of the duplexes so we have to do a lot of education and so on. So for now, for this period, we are going to do single houses but we are not giving up on the duplex programme because we know the benefits to us to have a programme like this,” she said.
Areas, where the Ministry attempted to roll out the duplex initiative, are Onderneeming in Region 3 and Onderneeming in Region 2, New Amsterdam in Region 6, Hope/Experiment in Region 5, and Ameila’s Ward and Wisroc in Region 10.
But the Minister is urging people to support the duplex housing programme, insisting that it is very beneficial.
“The number one benefit is that your families can live together. You can have on brother and his family, and one sister and her family, and mother and daughter, father and son…We can inculcate a culture where people can live together without conflict,” she emphasised.
One of the beneficiaries, hire car operator Winston Persaud, agreed with the sentiments of the Minister.
“It all depends on the individual…once you understand how to live in a cooperative society with different cultures… we are going to get along…your neighbour is your first contact if anything happens to you and your family,” he stated.
Persaud said he will just have to make some adjustments to the flooring and the kitchen and then he will be ready to move in.
The other beneficiary, Debra Wilson, had an application in the Central and Housing, Planning Authority (CH&PA) system since 1993 and she told News Room that he dreams are finally coming true.
The third beneficiary was for one of the single elevated houses in the model village. Regarding the duplexes, each home owner had to pay a total of $6.8M.
Meanwhile, the Housing Authority will be constructing an additional 40 flat concrete duplexes to the tune of $540M in the Perseverance Scheme by December. Each house would cost $6.8M while the land would cost $300,000.
The Ministry will be having open days next week Tuesday and Wednesday for persons desirous of owning one of those homes. Additionally, the CH&PA will be constructing 20 3-bedroom houses as well as 173 single concrete houses in the same area.
