The Venezuelan sponsored housing programme for the poorest of the poor was launched on January 19th but none of the twenty million Belize dollars has been disbursed yet. The initial considerations will be made when the multi-sector committee reviewing the applications meets next week. But according to Housing Minister Michael Finnegan, things haven’t been going quite as planned as applications that were to be directed strictly through area representatives, have been pouring into the housing office from all directions.
Hon. Michael Finnegan, Minister of Housing
“It is a ton load of applications but I am saying to you the applications are coming from left right and center to the Ministry of Housing, to the Housing Department, and to my community office outside of the Area Representative. But Cabinet has given permission for us to still send them to the vetting committee but we are appealing to applicants to try to go through their area representative.”
Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez, Minister of Works
“I think it is clear that people understand that you go to your area representative.”
Keith Swift,
How long will it take to process these applications?
Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“We will try to move as quickly as possible and next week we will be able to tell you how fast the process is going or how fast it could be.”
According to our information, many of the applications bypassing area representatives have come from UDP’s in those divisions controlled by PUP Area Representatives.
