Public Servants to Benefit from Special Housing Assistance

Contact: John Emmanuel

Wednesday, November 14, 2001 - With the launching of the over $37-million-dollar Shelter Development Project that will provide additional housing opportunities to low income families, Minister for Planning, Development, Environment and Housing Honourable Dr. Walter Francois has announced that plans are afoot to give special consideration to public servants to assist them in homeownership.

Dr. Francois said over the years the demand for homeownership had grown significantly and it was based on that fact that government was actively considering the possibility of collaborating with the various private sector credit unions, in developing a revolving fund that would make affordable housing more readily available to public officers. 

According to Francois, “We believe that if we can harness about $3 million for home improvements to be administered as a revolving fund and if these credit unions and NGO’s can put up about $10 million, then we can have programmes specifically for this group of persons, who may not have the critical initial outlay for the down payment and legal fees in owning their homes.”

His comments come as representatives of the various agencies involved in implementing the first phase of the four-pronged multi-million dollar initiative launched at the Bay Gardens Hotel on Tuesday, November 13, 2001, prepare to wrap-up a three-day training and implementation exercise.

$29.4 million for the project is coming from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) while the Government of Saint Lucia is putting up $8.1 million. The Shelter Development Project is being seen as another major plus in the Government of Saint Lucia’s attempts at poverty reduction and eradication.

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