THE Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MHUD) headed by Adrian Leonce said the 3,000 land lots recently promised to the citizenry by Prime Minister Stuart Young would cater for a range of people from low-income earners to professionals, in a statement in reply to a query by Newsday.
The lots will cater firstly for low- to middle-income housing between $250,000 and $500,000.
Next, the lots will include middle-income housing, ranging in price from $500,000 to $1 million.
Also promised were young professionals' housing, ranging from $1 million to $1.5 million.
"The lots will be distributed throughout communities within Trinidad and Tobago, with strategic locations identified across the country," the ministry said.
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The locations identified were north Trinidad: Santa Rosa, La Culebra, Casting Yard, Toco, Mausica Estate and Bon Air.
In central Trinidad, lots will be provided at Couva and Preysal.
Areas identified in south Trinidad were Reform, Moruga, Usine St Madeleine, Debe, Guapo and Point Fortin.
The ministry said it was moving forward with providing 3,000 service lots across TT, under the National Development Strategy (NDS) of Vision 2030. The strategy recognises housing as a fundamental right of all citizens and exemplifies the Vision 2030 goal to provide adequate and affordable housing for citizens.
"As outlined by Prime Minister Stuart Young, the 3,000 service lots represent a key component of the Government's multi-faceted shelter solution strategy, targeted at low to middle-income earners, minimum wage workers and individuals earning up to $25,000 monthly."
The ministry statement also said housing solutions would include the provision of rental accommodation and starter units up to a value of $250,000.
Newsday asked about the cost of providing the lots, such as acquisition and development costs.
"Importantly, these lands are state-owned, eliminating the need for costly land acquisition.
"Statutory regulations and current industry construction rates will determine development costs."
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Newsday asked if the initiative would impact the ministry's existing waiting list of applicants for public housing.
The statement said, "The ministry currently manages a housing application database of over 150,000 entries. Cognisant of the critical need for accurate data, a comprehensive sanitisation exercise is currently under way by the HDC to ensure a fair and efficient allocation process by accounting for variables such as migration, deceased applicants, and duplicate submissions."
The statement said Leonce had affirmed that he was fully on board with the plan.
It quoted him saying, “This initiative is not just about land – it is about dignity, opportunity, and creating pathways to home-ownership for thousands of citizens."
The ministry said it remained committed to fulfilling the promise of Vision 2030 and ensuring that every citizen had access to secure and affordable housing options.
The statement said while Tobago was under the jurisdiction of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), the Government remained committed to providing technical and administrative support whenever required.
