For the past year, you've seen the Ministry of Housing handing over starter homes to first time homeowners who already had a plot of land in their name. These handing overs have happened across the country - in Cayo South, Caribbean Shores, Belize Rural Central, and plenty other constituencies.
But today it was a different type of handing over as the ministry inaugurated an entire housing community. Blackberry Ridge Estate is located in the Burrell Boom area and is now the home for 50 single mothers, disabled and elderly persons, and the underpaid and unemployed. And while a single home would cost somewhere about 50,000 dollars due to inflation, MIDH says building a community is a lot more affordable.
Courtney Menzies was at the ceremony today as each recipient got their house keys for the first time. Here is her story.
Fifty first time homeowners today turned the keys to their brand new starter homes in a brand new community. The Blackberry Ridge Estate was inaugurated today by the Ministry of Housing as a part of their promise to build 10,000 homes.
According to the prime minister, during the process, they realized that building in bulk was more cost effective than single homes.
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"We started off by building individual homes and Julius, the architect and the person with experience is telling me it's going to come out a lot more expensive just building one one all over the place and issue with supervision, infrastructure that goes along with all of this, it's best if we can plan out new communities that also have access to the highways and close to where you work from. So he came up with this concept starting here at Blackberry Estate. And the idea is for us to replicate this in other parts of the country."
Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development & Housing
"We started the program building homes throughout the entire country, individual homes, because at the time we didn't have a land to be able to build a community. So from the onset we were looking throughout the entire country as to where we could start the program. We are in communication with other real estate developers, we are in communication with the Ministry of Lands to be able to allocate 20 acres in each district or in each constituency. Larry Flowers had this personal land and he came up with the proposal and once that fell into the specifications that we had at the ministry and the price range, and the price was really good, and so we took it to Cabinet, we got Cabinet's approval and then we did all we need to do."
And this is just phase one of this project - phase two will see another 50 starter houses and 50 new homeowners. But Minister Espat has big plans to develop this small community - and he hopes it will continue even after he leaves office.
Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development & Housing
"As you see, we will be putting in a daycare center, we'll be putting in a substation for the police, we'll be putting in a health center, we've already put in the bus stops, we're looking at bus runs right now, so it's just the start of a project."
Reporter:
"We've seen similar housing schemes, we've seen Mahogany Heights, we've seen other projects that governments have led the share to put together fall to the wayside, how do we ensure that this does not become another failed project?"
Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development & Housing
"Well the hope is that subsequent governments, PUP or UDP don't look at it as a political project, and continue the project. That has been the failure in Belize not only with housing projects, but with everything that one government starts something and another government catch feelings and doesn't want to continue with the project. We hope that that does not happen."
But it's not just up to successive governments - Minister Espat says the new residents of Blackberry Ridge Estate also have a part to play in its upkeep. Like the other starter homes, they will have to contribute $100 a month.
And to help them out, the proprietor of Ayinha Farms, Larry Flowers - and a partner in this project - has given each home fruit trees to plant based on the fruit their street is named off of. According to the Minister, this will help them to generate income as Ayinha plans to buy from them.
Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development & Housing
"It was during COVID that everybody was saying, what will we do, we can't feed ourselves, nothing is there to buy, so people were starting to come up with this, and it's not a new concept, we from the rural areas, we do it everyday and Marisol could tell you, everybody got a little back garden, everybody tries to grow their vegetables, everybody has their fruit trees, that's the concept we're trying to integrate into the urban mentality, that if you can produce a certain level to be able to satisfy your family then that eases the burden of going to purchase it, and if we have a manufacturer that is willing to buy certain produce then that gives you additional income."
But for now, the recipients were just excited to get their keychains, which they chose randomly, and each one had the number of the house they would move into. But for lucky number 25, that home came fully furnished with a sofa, dining set, bed, and even a mop bucket.
The recipient, Marleni Montoya, said that she was shocked when she got it.
Marleni Montoya, Recipient of Furnished House
"This one key was at the front and I just pick it up, like something tell me pick it up, and I turned it around and [gasp], only that, and the man tell me, it's you who won it because I already saw your mouth. Yeah, it feels good because it wasn't something I expected and it happened and I don't know, I'm just grateful for everything."
"I always lived with my parents but it's an opportunity, it's my first time living on my own then I have a baby, he's going to turn 22 years old and then, I could say I love live with my parents but I always wanted something on my own, something for me."
"I just came here knowing I would get a house but not expecting that I would be the one getting the house furnished already."
Courtney Menzies:
"And since you live with your mom you probably don't have a lot of your own stuff…"
Marleni Montoya, Recipient of Furnished House
"Yes, I do."
Courtney Menzies:
"You do? So you doubled up, so what will happen now?"
Marleni Montoya, Recipient of Furnished House
"Well, I have two sisters, this is my blessing, I could bless one of my sisters, or both of them, we don't know."
Courtney Menzies:
"How do you feel about the house in terms of the size and the way it was constructed?"
Marleni Montoya, Recipient of Furnished House
"Well, I like it, it's only me and my son, so I don't mind about the size, its beautiful inside, it's white my favorite color, like I don't know if they have woman who literally likes everything white, but I'm like that but then I have a baby so I said, hmm, white, but I love white so the only thing I need to worry about is to keep that thing white."
And though Montoya says she's not much of a farmer, she is willing to learn, and plans to move into her new home this weekend.
According to Minister Espat, they have identified land in Armenia, Cotton Tree, and the Belize Rural Central area where they are planning to build similar communities. They will also try to work with the private sector to identify additional acres of land.
