Locals being trained to construct low-income housing that will be provided under a partnership between the National Housing Corporation (NHC) and Guyanese manufacturer Duravilla are expected to be able to complete builds in a week.
That’s according to Manager of the Customer Service Department of the NHC Roger Coppin who said he expects hundreds of houses to go up over the next year and a half.
He spoke to Barbados TODAY as the housing agency staged yet another viewing of the model homes on Thursday.
“We had Guyanese who came and showed us the techniques as to how to assemble it. The last house was assembled in just over a week – about 10 days or so. We expect that by the time Barbadians are in a position and they have the know-how, that we should also be having them assembling the house within a week or thereabout,” Coppin said.
“I know for sure we are going to be having at least 30 by year-end coming into Barbados. We have a mandate where we have to fulfill 2 000 within the first year and we are on the way [to achieving that]. We are looking forward to ensuring that the backlog that we have at the National Housing Corporation will be looked after initially because we have to get down that backlog.”
From as early as 9 a.m., interested people gathered in Queen’s Park to view a sample of one of Duravilla’s two-bedroom timber and prefabricated structures as they received information on how to become a homeowner under the new project, which is being led by the NHC.
Security guards, maids, and other low-income workers took advantage of the opportunity to see and hear more about the houses.
It was a similar scene in Scotts Gap, Brittons Hill, where scores of prospective homeowners viewed the three-bedroom steel frame model house pre-engineered in China and built in collaboration with East West Corporation.
Both the Duravilla and East West Corporation structures are customisable and expandable, and are fitted with solar photovoltaic panels.
Several areas have already been identified for the houses, including River Crescent, St Philip; Searles, Christ Church; Lower Burneys and Cutting Road, Haggatt Hall, St Michael; Brighton, St George; Bullens, St James and Concordia, St Philip.
An overwhelming interest in the homes prompted officials to offer more viewings and information sessions, following the first at the end of Agrofest in May this year and an NHC mortgage fair in The City last Saturday.
“There are lots of persons who are interested in the houses and they didn’t have the opportunity to come and view the houses, so we are giving them another opportunity . . . . If it is necessary, we may have a fourth one as well. Our demand at National Housing is very high because we have affordable housing for persons,” Coppin said.
“We are trying to make sure that those persons who are [earning] $2 000 or under are given the opportunity to own their own home. That is the whole idea behind it,” he added.
The NHC official identified financing as one of the main challenges facing residents interested in purchasing a home.
However, he said, having the financial institutions as partners will help to tackle that challenge over the coming years.
“That is why we brought the financial institutions on board. We had a fair last Saturday and we brought them on board and they are partnering with us. So we expect that challenge we had initially, the fact that they came on board with us, that they will assist us in ensuring that persons can get mortgages in a timely manner so that we can turn over these houses to persons,” said Coppin.
He said he hoped the recommendations on who will get the houses will be made to the NHC Board soon so they can begin the approvals.
“I am quite sure they are aware of what we are doing and will be on board to ensure that they approve applications in a timely manner because that is also a part of the process,” Coppin said.
The houses are among the 10 000 Government has promised to provide for low-income earners over the next five years.
