NINE OF TEN MEMBERS of the National Housing Corporation (NHC) board yesterday signalled their support for Minister of Housing and Lands Michael Lashley and his stewardship of that agency. At the ground-breaking ceremony for a housing project at Parish Land, St Philip, acting NHC chairman Anthony Wiltshire said “much weather” had been made of the corporation and the board in the last few days.But, he added, the board members had come together as one and would continue to work with Lashley to ensure that all of the projects already started and those to come, were carried out to their fullest extent.“I hope that we move forward as one and we would be able to see that the mandate of the DLP and all of the projects will come to success and we would not have any rancour among the board, ministry and the minister. We will support the minister and all of his endeavours,” Wiltshire said.The board members stood among the audience in a show of their support. Acting NHC general manager Lanette Napoleon-Young said the missing board member was absent on pressing business.Two weeks ago sacked NHC chairman Marilyn Rice-Bowen had indicated at a media briefing there were problems between the board and Lashley.She said then “there were fundamental differences between the Minister of Housing and Lands and the board” in terms of interpretation of established rules and protocols, as well as the role and function of the board in respect of all NHC funded projects.Rice-Bowen charged that the “board” was bypassed by Lashley with respect to some NHC projects. Lashley told those gathered that work at the site would start in a “matter of months”.He said 122 houses would be built at Parish Land and would be part of the “starter homes” policy.Lashley said the range of prices for the starter homes would be $70 000 to $100 000 which would capture the sector of the market that could not afford a house over $100 000.He explained that a similar income group would be targeted at other imminent housing projects at Lancaster 1 and 3. Lashley said the ministry would shortly be launching its $5 per square foot lots programme. He said among the several areas where these would be made available would be Woodbourne, St Philip, Clifton Hill, St Thomas, and Blackmans, St Joseph.“As long as we continue as a unified body as we did before, we will be able to carry out the mandate set out by the manifesto of the Democratic Labour Party and also the mandate of the National Housing Corporation. Of course, we have to keep far away from engaging the National Housing Corporation in constructing office buildings, but to build homes for people,” he said.Lashley expressed his delight that houses at Greens, St George, Four Hill and French Village, St Peter, had already been allocated. (WG)
