Hinterland housing initiative takes on ‘life of its own’

Dec 18, 2013 News

Recognizing the constraints of developing hinterland communities because of their layout, Toshaos of many hinterland communities have been approaching the Ministry of Housing to help plan their communities, says Minister Irfaan Ali.
According to the Minister, the development of hinterland communities is being done under the Ministry’s hinterland core homes initiative to have those communities better planned. Since the launch of the initiative, many Toshaos are requesting the Ministry to structure their communities and help them develop community plans, he added.
Ali enlightened that the initiative has taken on a life of its own and the Ministry is hoping to expand the programme in 2014. The Ministry has a Community Development Unit that is currently working with many communities across the country to help them streamline development.
He said the Unit takes into consideration the socioeconomic development of the communities while preparing the plans. In addition, planning considers the remoteness of the areas, which is one of the challenges encountered.
“The hinterland communities recognize this (remoteness) as a constraint, that is why they are now trying to adjust the way they live to have a more central location where everyone is around that centre, so it makes it easy for infrastructure and so on to be taken into the communities,” he said.
In 2010, the Central Housing and Planning Authority reported that the programme, which will cost Government approximately US$27.9M, will enhance the living conditions of low income families through improved access to affordable housing.
The Authority said that 400 core homes would be developed in Regions Three, Four and Six over the next three to four years. Of that total, 200 would be erected in hinterland communities.