Affordable housing open house held in West Bay

Members of Government sat with local residents in
one of the new homes at the Open House of the
Affordable Housing Initiative dubbed ‘Promised Will’ in
West Bay last Saturday

Standing on the porch of one of the new affordable
houses in West Bay were (l-r) Financial Manager of the
National Housing & Community Development Trust
Roger Bodden; West Bay MLA Rolston Anglin; Minister
of Community Services Dr the Hon Frank McField; West
Bay MLA Capt Eugene Ebanks; West Bay MLA and
Leader of Government Business Hon McKeeva Bush;
Community Development Manager of the Housing
Trust, Catherine Tyson; and West Bay MLA Cline
Glidden

Thursday, August 19, 2004

The Ministry of Community Services, Youth, Sports and Gender Affairs, in conjunction with the National Housing & Community Development Trust held an open house at the affordable housing site in West Bay, dubbed ‘Promised Will’, last Saturday morning.

More than 100 residents came out to take a look at the new houses, which should be ready for occupancy very shortly, according to Roger Bodden, Financial Manager of the Trust.

The morning’s programme included addresses by the Minister of Community Services, Dr the Hon Frank McField, and all four West Bay MLA’s, Leader of Government Business Hon McKeeva Bush, Cline Glidden, Rolston Anglin, and Capt Eugene Ebanks.

Mr Glidden spoke in glowing terms about the affordable housing project. “I’ve heard of some people who have been renting for 15 years and at the end off that period, they don’t own anything,” he said. “Home ownership is such an important part of life and this housing initiative will give people a chance to own their own home.”

Capt Eugene Ebanks said he was impressed with the quality of the homes. “If I had a home as nice as one of these when I was growing up, I would have been a happy young man,” he said.

Pointing out that one of the applicants for a West Bay home is 82 years old, Mr Anglin said: “We’re next to Opportunity Acres here, and this is an extension of that opportunity. This is the dawn of a new day for the Cayman Islands, and a dawn of a new day for West Bay.”

The efforts of Dr McField in bringing the housing initiative to fruition were praised by Mr Bush. “I have to give the Housing Minister a lot of credit for persevering,” he said. “He has taken a lot of criticism from the Opposition.”

Mr Bush urged the buyers of the new homes in West Bay to work with one another. “This is your neighbourhood,” he said. “I don’t want to be called here for any squabbles. I want to be called here for a good party, because the Cayman Islands needs good times.”

Local contractor Allan Myles also said he was impressed with the homes, especially the price at which they are being offered. “It would cost me over $100,000 to build a house this size, excluding the land. They will make good starter homes.”

The roads at the West Bay site on Capt Joe Osbert Drive were not yet paved, something Roger Bodden said was a result of Hurricane Charley delaying the process. “They’ll be paved very shortly,” he promised.

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