Edmund Hinkson, BLP St. James North Candidate
The “star housing programme” on the basis of which DLP Parliamentarians are asking Voters to re-elect their Party has not been anywhere nearly as successful as they are promoting it to be. Mr. Edmund Hinkson, the BLP’s St. James North Candidate, in a recent address to his Party’s Women’s League, revealed that a document prepared by the National Housing Corporation indicates that the DLP Government has only completed 374 housing solutions in its first fifty six months of office.
“This works out to be an average of eighty houses per year compared to the promise made in their 2008 Manifesto to build 2,000 housing solutions per year during this term of office. In fact, the Government has not provided a single housing solution through the NHC, in its principal housing agency, in six parishes namely St. James, St. Lucy, St. Joseph, St. Thomas, St. John or St. Andrew” Hinkson pronounced.
This is the present situation, even although this Government is in a position to draw down on a US $30 million international loan which was negotiated by the previous Owen Arthur administration.
Many housing projects, such as those at Constant, Lancaster, West Terrace, Durants and Parish Land in St. Philip, which were due to be completed last year, have not yet provided solutions for any of the thousands of Barbadians who want to either buy or rent houses.
The former NHC Deputy Chairman also stated that the DLP Government had so far failed to provide any of the 500 lots of land at $5.00 per square foot for first time home-owners, another promise which it had pledged to carry out within its first five months of office. These lots were said in its Manifesto to have been already identified.
Hinkson opined that this Government’s housing programme must also receive a failing grade, just as the majority of its other policies, particularly when it is also considered that there has been a significant curtailment in the transfer of urban tenancies programme instituted by the last BLP administration. Furthermore, only a few NHC tenants, including those in Deacons Farm, Fernihurst and the Pine, have been the beneficiary of the DLP Government’s stated policy to transfer their units free of cost to them where they have been renting them for over twenty years.
Furthermore, the BLP St. James North candidate stated the Government has failed, as promised, to establish any Home Ownership Revolving Fund to provide interest free loans to first time homeowners in the public sector with five or more years’ service or to increase the annual allowable tax deduction for mortgages to $20,000.00.
On the subject of housing, minister Michael Lashley appears to be very quiet nowadays.
@david
He’s quiet on a lot of subjects nowadays. The BLP machinery is clearly oiled and working.
@David
I hear that the FBI can keep you quiet at times.
@Undertaker
Don’t you believe WE the taxpayers need to know if there is truth to this matter?
Minister Lashley needs to come public and refute this accusation and stop it from gaining currency.
80 per year, how many did mr.hinkson’s party provide in its 14 year stint while the world economy was good and people were wuking for housing. Don’t forget CLICO lands cannot be used as had been envisaged since the collapse. More on CLICO and de B’s another time, we talking housing now. One more has Mr. Hinkson ever heard of Private-Public-Partnerships maybe he should look at another GOP/Red/ Business led party policy in Puerto Rico, which by the way the D’s are doing.
@David dont you think that BU can also stop the silly speculation by publishing the FACT that Minister Lashley very recently returned from the USA ???
@Just Asking
There will always be speculation around the lives of politicians, when it arises it is incumbent on those affected to mobilise an effective communications strategy. In this regard BU is trying to assist the minister who has departed from his usual loquacious self on this matter. With an election looming one can only wonder.
.@ David | September 19, 2012 at 12:46 AM |
We need also to have the Truth regarding the construction cost of those 73 low income housing solutions at Valerie, Brittons Hill. We are all for low income housing solutions even if we disagree with such a high rise concept on a small land area in an already built-up and densely populated area in the tropics against a much talked about Green Economy and Society. Can these units really benefit from alternative energy solutions such as solar panel to generate electricity for domestic use and to run the necessary air conditioning and cooling systems for the tropical concrete ovens in the air.
We find the “rumoured’ $400,000.00 construction cost per unit (excluding the cost of land/space finishings and fittings) rather exorbitant.
Can any light be shed on these penthouse-costing lower income solutions in regard to the economic rents to be paid or by how much the government will be subsidizing these rents to lower income and unemployed people?
The BLP projects that were left on the table are no more so of course Lashley must be quiet. The Dems’ projects are Jada at Coverley and the $5 per lot programme–the latter as far as I know still has not started.
@ Enuff | September 19, 2012 at 4:39 PM |
What has become of the housing project, sorry, housing solutions for the Brandons/Exmouth area?
All fenced up and overgrown with bush with nothing to show not even a show house or unit.
Poor Michael, the sleepy speaker, his electoral chances fading by the day. No more CLICO $100.00 notes to lick out or to buy votes. The few jada millions going to secure sinckler territory, lashes return and the boys prepared to sell their souls to the political devil like kenny B the “Aspirationist” and dennis the lowedown with the other hitlerite lashley Jonesing with Boycie to hurt jerome the wally from behind.
@ miller
You sure ’bout Kenny? After all the project at Haggatt Hall on land purchased from a close relative of the late PM aint in a coma too?
Minister Lashley does not need to respond to the above. Mr.Hinkson need to get a lesson in PUBLIC SPEAKING before he can call on anyone to respond. this man is the poorerst of the poor.
What does public speaking have to do with serving the people?
@ DMC
And Michael Lashley does not need a course too? haaaaaaaaha
@ DMC | September 20, 2012 at 7:57 PM |
Mr. Hinkson has a speech impediment or challenge the same way you have a ‘thinking’ one. He might not be able to do much about his but a chance to find an iota of commonsense is still within your grasp.
We are more concerned about Mr. Hinkson’s commitment and deeds than any sweet sounding and flowing political hot air.
“A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.”
“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”
He will be judged by his integrity which is not up to opprobrium unlike the politician you uphold and whose oratorical skills are permanently infused or replete with repetition and circumlocution.
We would be most surprised if he would use his oratorical modus operandi to publicly support his boss and to deny rumours of any FBI interests in him.
The comment from DMC exposes the intolerance many Barbadians have for the disable i.e. people who are challenged in one way or the other.
what u now said David is so so true smdh
I know for a fact that DLP parliamentarians had no idea how difficult it is/was to get things done in this country. They obviously think the supply/demand circumstances in BIM along with the high cost of living is some great private sector conspiracy. They need to put their house in order, paste huge LEGISLATE, REGULATE, FACILITATE signs in every civil service office and let us get on with what we do best. Private sector housing companies in this island have waiting lists for thousands of new owners, all kept back by some branch of the civil service for a minimum of 5 years from the time of application to TCP.
DMC,
You are the scum of the earth, a typical Dem. Your type find fault with every and any thing when the person is not a Dem.
Mr Hinkson has nothing to be ashamed of because he speaks with a lisp. He is articulate in what he says, he is honest and trustworthy. I have never heard anyone for whom he worked complain about his integrity. You cannot say that of Michael Lashley! Ever!!
Mr Hinkson has given back to society by his work with the Lions Club. He did not wait until he was ready to go into politics to play he was getting involved in service. This man uses his home to raise funds to assist the charity he is involved with mainly to help the disabled. How many people you know would use their home to help others?
He is a man of character and he will win the St James North Seat. Instead of you dealing with the incompetence and utter disappointment of the Dems, you attack a man because he speaks the truth.
Tell Barbadians how many houses were built, how many are sold to this day. You cant because you all think that you can build fowl houses and pass them off as houses for low income people.
Talking about integrity, tell us how much this government paid for the land they supposedly acquired from the dead king’s father under the guile that they wanted it to build low income housing!
What is the latest with the houses at Greens?
i thought that some of these housing projects were supposed to finish at the end of summer and other december. december almost here and nothing.
not taking any sides but im kinda confused