So now, let's rewind a bit.
Usher was initially told that the house handing over would take place today - and he claims he hadn't gotten the memo that it would be postponed. So all the pomp and circumstance to prepare for the ceremony was for nothing, and the mood quickly went from celebratory to crestfallen.
But no one was more disappointed than Apolinaria Choc, who had spent all morning getting ready, and wasn't sure of the reason why she couldn't get her new home.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, three more handing overs did happen, in two separate constituencies.
It's a sticky situation but Courtney Menzies was able to get all sides. Here's her story about the house handing over that never happened.
50-year-old Apolinaria Choc was more than ready to receive the keys to her brand new home, courtesy of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing. For the last two decades, she'd raised five of her seven children in a dilapidated home that barely stood up against hurricane Lisa.
So, she was bursting with happiness to finally have a home suitable for herself and her two youngest children.
Apolinaria Choc, Recipient-To-Be
"I really feel so happy that I will have a house to own, my own house. I'm a single mother, and my children just work, catch and kill, I don't work, I stay home."
Reporter:
"When it rains, does it leak and stuff like that?"
Apolinaria Choc, Recipient-To-Be
"Oh yes, a lot, from through the wall, the roof, everywhere the rain comes in."
Courtney Menzies:
"And during the hurricane what was it like?"
Apolinaria Choc, Recipient-To-Be
"Well during the hurricane, all of the roof gone, half of the roof gone."
Courtney Menzies:
"Did it shake?"
Apolinaria Choc, Recipient-To-Be
"Yes, it shook badly. All of the walls are rotten, the bathroom and the kitchen side is too small."
Reporter:
"You've gone inside to tour the new house right?"
Apolinaria Choc, Recipient-To-Be
"Yes ma'am."
Reporter:
"What do you think of it?"
Apolinaria Choc, Recipient-To-Be
"It's very good and pretty."
And her yard was prepped with everything needed for the ceremony - blue and white balloons decorated the walls, chairs were lined up, and the ribbon was ready for cutting.
But all of those had to be taken down, and instead of keys, Choc was only left with the blue bow and the sandwiches she'd made to celebrate, because her house handing over had been unexpectedly postponed.
The news - in text form - came as a shock to both Choc and her area rep, Gilroy Usher, who then went on a 17-minute rant about how he feels his division has not been treated equally, since they haven't even been able to hand over a single starter home yet.
But though the MIDH Minister, Julius Espat, wasn't in Port Loyola this morning, he was on Northside Belize City, where there were three other homes to hand over. And he explained that while he doesn't want to get into a back and forth with Usher, the reality is that the Southside division has not been forgotten:.
Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development & Housing
"He has a right to be able to say what he wants but he does not understand the reality that we're facing, you have to understand, when Hurricane Lisa came through, all the Human Resources from MIDH went into assist his people, he's not mentioning that. He's not mentioning that five of his residents will be giving houses in January in Boom area because he doesn't have any land in the Port Loyola. All of his requests for assistance and relief was accomplished so I think he's being a bit unfair but you can't change a man's personality and I'll leave it as that."
"Gilroy was the first person that went publicly to say that the houses were too small and he didn't want any house in the Port Loyola, and so what you want me to do? When you have unreasonable people, I can't do much more for them but I will continue with all that I have to assist his area."
"No bad blood, he is doing his job, he is an area representative, I understand that, respect that, so I can't have bad blood with him."
And while Choc wasn't able to get her brand new home today, there were other families who did, including 51-year-old Jenny Blease. You may remember her from back in 2020 when her daughter, son-in-law, and 5-year-old grandson were gunned down inside their house - which sits on the same lot as Blease's starter home.
And Blease told us that while the past couple of years have been rough, she's been able to find joy in her granddaughter - and now, a place to call her own.
Jenny Blease, Recipient
"I had a stroke, I live at Kelly Street, what happened is, it's not my yard, and when you live at somebody yard it's always confusion. But I have my own home now. There's no one to fuss with so I'm just happy and blessed. Thanks to everyone, thanks to my minister."
"It's very rough, because up to now I haven't gotten any justice. They shot my daughter, son in law, and grandson, and still the person is free about. But one day God will give me my justice for my daughter Shakira. I still have my granddaughter so I'm happy for her."
Courtney Menzies:
"And I know she was shot as well, how is she doing?"
Jenny Blease, Recipient
"She's okay, she's five years old now, she go to the pre-school and what happened, I couldn't take care of her, so my next daughter, Vanessa, she is taking care of her."
"My heart is still broken but I have to be strong for my granddaughter, Dajah. My heart is broken but when I hug her, it gives me a little joy."
Courtney Menzies:
"So talk to us about the feeling of being able to move into your own home."
My new home. It's a blessing, I'm so happy, my own key, something I can call my own. Sometimes you cry for sadness, but today I cry for joy. [00:02:24.22]
Kareem Musa, Area Rep, Caribbean Shores
"Previously, she lived over at Kelly Street on Freetown Road, it was a small apartment that she shared with her other daughter and so this is a huge step for her today to be able to have her own home and of course she has her family that's going to come over as well so of course everyone is extremely happy, it couldn't have been. More timely at Christmas time to be able to deliver this home and so I want to thank the contractor and the team who made it possible to get it before Christmas as a Christmas gift for Miss Jenny."
The other two handing overs took place in the Freetown Division.
