GOVERNMENT is actively considering the introduction of minimum housing standards legislation to protect both tenants and landlords.

That's according to Minister of Housing and Lands Michael Lashley, who was speaking against the background of a recent visit to New Orleans, Cats Castle and Greenfields, all residential areas in Bridgetown.

Speaking at a City of Bridgetown constituency conference at Harrison College, Lashley expressed horror at what he saw, drawing reference to what he described as full-fledged exploitation of the poor and disadvantaged.

He expressed disgust at the substandard and, in some cases, non-existent toilet facilities, and claimed that landlords still increased rents and some refused to provide rental contracts for their tenants.

"I must say I'm totally fed up with landlords placing substandard housing on the market at extreme rents to poor people. It's exploitation of the poor and disadvantaged," Lashley added.

He questioned: "How can a landlord place a house on the market without toilet facilities and in some cases substandard toilet facilities and . . . refuse to repair houses but find no difficulty in increasing the rent?"

Lashley noted that Government was committed to home ownership, adding that Government was examining the Trinidad and Tobago model of minimum housing standards legislation.

"This piece of legislation will protect the rights of both parties in a landlord and tenant relationship, but at the fundamental core of this legislation is a requirement of the landlord to provide basic amenities before that house is placed on the rental market," the minister said.

He told a packed school hall that the residents of Kensington Lodge would soon be offered their homes as part of the National Housing Corporation programme.

To date, he said, 36 residents had been offered their homes and 35 had so far responded. Those residents, he added, would be able to take the offer letters to lending institutions for funding. (PW)