MORE THAN 1 000 people so far, most of them from Pinelands, St Michael, have qualified to own their Government rental units.

The news came yesterday from estate warden for Government rental units, Rudolph Moore. A NATION team caught up with him as he conducted a field trip in the Pinelands area.

In its manifesto, the Democratic Labour Party pledged that tenants who had been living in their units for more than 20 years and had settled all arrears would qualify for ownership, needing only to pay legal fees and transferral costs.

Moore said he and five other officers had been given a month to visit the housing estates all over the island to certify those who would qualify. They started last week.

"People who are in the house [but] were not tenants would qualify for a change of tenancy. However, if the person dies, the house can be changed over in your name.

"If you are the occupant and not the tenant, we need to know how many people live in the house and who are working," Moore said.

Tenant Jenny Weekes, who has resided in her unit for more than 25 years, said it "was very nice of [Prime Minister] David Thompson" and she was "looking forward to the day to actually owning [which] would not be long".

Violet Carter-Yarde, 87, has called a unit in Regent Hill her home for 30 years. Back then she paid $3 a week for rent, but nowadays it's $30 a week.

The former seamstress was one of those who relocated from Emmerton, the City, to make way for construction of the sewerage plant.

Violet Cox, 83, has raised a family and grandchildren in her unit at Regent Hill more over the past 49 years. She relocated from Brittons Hill, St Michael, when she got married.

"The Prime Minister made a very good offer. For the time we were living here, we paid for this already. Under the former administration, you had to pay for it; now, this is a given," Cox said.

Other housing units include Flat Rock, Waverley Cot in St George; Eden Lodge, Bush Hall, Deacons Farm, Ferniehurst, the Pine, Bayville St Michael; Maynards, St Peter, Belleplaine, St Andrew; Church Village, St Philip; Wanstead, St James; and Sayes Court, Silver Hill, Gall Hill and Silver Sands in Christ Church. (KB)