Gov’t facilitates engagement with Soesdyke-Linden Highway residents, commercial banks

Moving from one step to the other, and closer to home ownership, residents along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway remain grateful for the government’s interventions into their well-being.

After being allocated a lease and then issued land, the government through the Ministry of Housing and Water on Tuesday hosted a face-to-face engagement between the residents and various banks.

The event, held by a resident in Timehri, allowed the residents to discuss loans and mortgages with the financing officers and to apply for the ministry’s steel and cement subsidy.

The Department of Public Information (DPI) spoke to residents who were excited to commence consultations on building their homes.

Daniel Primo was fortunate enough to be qualified for the ministry’s steel and cement subsidy and expressed his eagerness to start the construction of his home.

“With how I am feeling now, tomorrow I am going to my land to see what is going on and if I can start my foundation…Because I am thankful for the little materials and it will help me a lot,” the man expressed.

Primo was one of the residents who resided at Hill Foot and whose house was destroyed.

For Susan Singh, who lives along the highway, her worries about providing a better future in terms of housing for her kids and grandkids have been lessened since she had a fruitful discussion with one of the banks and the ministry.

“I am so proud of the initiative that His Excellency has given us today. I am so thankful for my lease especially. I am so happy that I will be able to own a home for my children and grandchildren,” Singh said.

Acknowledging that she got through extremely fast with the ministry, Maria Pierre said that engagement indeed seeks to meet the needs of the people along the highway.

“It was a fast process. It is nice that they brought all these programmes to the highway for us. I want to thank the president and the ministries for this initiative,” the young woman noted.

Present at the outreach were the Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, and the Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy.

Minister Croal stated that although the highway developmental plan is on the agenda, the government is still ensuring that every citizen is better off than before.

“Our presence here today is a commitment by His Excellency. Now that you have received your home ownership, this is a follow-up activity. This alone will tell you that as a government how committed we are to ensuring that by every possible means our citizens can have an opportunity for a better life,” the housing minister stressed.

Meanwhile, Minister McCoy encouraged the residents to look and plan for the future and build sustainable lives.

“Just think about what the highway will become, a better place and the removal of the situation of squatting and people becoming actual owners of the lands they occupy, and a cleaner environment,” Minister McCoy asserted.

Last week, the residents were given their leases by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and later some were allocated lands in Swan.