Tonight Arleen Banner and her 9 children are spending the first night in their new home. As we told you last week, the family’s home on Benbow Street collapsed. That was the family at its worst and today when I returned to Benbow Street, I found them at their best.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
It took only four days for the Port Loyola Housing for the Poor crew to construct Arleen Banner’s new three bedroom house at number thirty two Benbow Street in the Queen Square Division. One week ago the family’s home collapsed and dropped four feet to the ground and there was nothing that could have been done to salvage the home but replaced it with a stronger structure. Arleen Banner who is a single mother of ten children was overcome with emotion as she entered her new home for the very first time.
Arleen Banner, New Homeowner
“I am very nervous, I am very happy Miss Jackie. I am so nervous, I am trembling. It is a job well done.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
“And as quickly as it took them to construct this house you are wasting
no time, I understand some of your household items are outside just waiting to be moved in.”
Arleen Banner,
“Yes most of them is in my vehicle out there waiting for us to come in along with me. I am so happy, I am so happy happy happy. Honestly I am so happy.”
Arleen Banner says if it was not for the support of her area representative and Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Minister of Works Anthony Boots Martinez she would not be able to afford a home of her own.
Arleen Banner,
“No I wouldn’t have afforded this so quickly. It would have taken me a good while to get something like this done.”
Initially the family was promised a two bedroom house but instead they were given an additional room.
Jacqueline Godwin,
“What were you expecting?”
Denisha Pinto, 12 years
“I thought it would be the same thing like how it used to be. I am so excited to get a new house.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
“And how about you Kingsley?”
Kingsley Pinto, 11 years old
“I am excited too because when Mr. Boots build up the house and he had the workers building it up and I came this morning and I saw the house, I was excited to see it. I thought it was too bedrooms but when I saw it had three bedrooms.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
“How will you help make sure the house keeps pretty?”
Kingsley Pinto,
“Keep it clean.”
According to the Area Representative Dean Barrow who rarely promotes the work he does in his constituency this time he was unable to avoid the camera. According to barrow there are many more families like Arleen Banner who are in need of assistance.
Hon. Dean Barrow, Area Representative
“More than we can actually do but let me just tell you that under the Southside Poverty Alleviation Project and the Venezuelan Housing Project, we in Queen’s Square will be able to do a total of about sixty new homes. We’ve already done 38 so we don’t make a great deal of noise. Since you are here, let me just take the opportunity to put that on record. Not less than 60 homes will be done in Queen’s Square and we’ve already gone well over half of that in our constituency. That is in addition to monies that were given out for home improvement, for repairs. So we’re going to do sixty new homes. We’re going to do well over 200 cases of individual home repairs, not a great deal of money but at least 200 persons will helped in terms of home repairs.”
And while the home was constructed under the Venezuela money housing programme many other families living in the city’s Southside have similarly received assistance through the Southside programme.
Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez, Minister of Works
“On the Southside programme we have built over 100 homes and repaired over 500 homes. Under the southside programme you have about I would say 200 remain. That is home repairs and new homes. The southside project, the component of home repairs and renovations is coming to an end. That started from last year and that is coming to an end but failing that, we could almost make a plea to OPEC to probably allot if there is demand for it, allot more funds or you would say de-reserve funds from one area to the next.”
Arleen Banner and her children also would like to thank all those persons who also came to their rescue.
Arleen Banner’s home was constructed under the stewardship of Linton Broaster. The business community also contributed.
