National Housing programme shaken but not broken

Dr the Hon Frank McField, Minister of Community
Services (r) with Catherine Tyson, Community
Development Manager for the NHCDT at the Windsor
Park site

by Brian Buckley

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

At the Windsor Park site of the National Housing and Community Development Trust (NHCDT), Dr Frank McField, Minister of Community Services, stated that out of the 132 homes prepared for public ownership, 80 are still standing.

While surveying the damage at the Windsor Park site, Dr McField added that because of the serious damage to the Eastern Avenue the plans would be changed and apartments, rather than homes would be erected on that site.

The original plan of the trust was for 69 homes at the West Bay site, 30 in Windsor Park, and 33 at Eastern Avenue. After Ivan the West Bay site had 61 homes survive, Windsor Park 19, and the Eastern Avenue site was completely devastated.

“The houses were insured so the estimated total damages of $2.5 million will be recovered but we did lose $500,000 in materials stored by Fairbanks,” said Dr McField.

The original contractors, Vetromeccaniche Invest, are currently doing repairs on the homes and parts from the Eastern Ave homes are being used to restore some of the homes at the other sites.

Dr McField stated the original contract called for a total of 200 homes, with 68 homes yet to be built in Fairbanks. The Trust now hopes that with the creation of apartments at the Eastern Ave site and with the yet-to-be-built homes in Fairbanks, those 200 housing units will still be offered to the public, thus meeting the goal.

Catherine Tyson, Community Development Manager for the NHCDT, noted the apartments planned for the Eastern Ave site would fit a demand the Trust has seen from the elderly who have sought one-bedroom units in large numbers from the Trust.

The development of the apartments will also insure a cash flow for the Trust as it moves forward to meet the payments on its US$14.5 million loan. The apartment scheme may also allow the Trust to recover the $500,000 it lost in materials.

Those accepted by the Trust to receive a home, make monthly payments to cover a twenty-year mortgage at 8.5 percent. Dr McField envisioned the apartments now planned for the Eastern Ave site would run for roughly $500 a month.

“With all the criticism the NHCDT has taken, Hurricane Ivan was a test that God knows no one wanted and the Trust passed that test. We know this because we have the majority of these houses left and squatters are now living in them,” said Dr Mc Field.

“I just feel so incredibly blessed because if many of the homes had fallen, as many critics predicted, I would have had to string myself up, but now I have to hide from people who want to be in the front of the line for one of the homes.” he added.

Anyone wanting information should call 945 7649.

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