Given the increased demand for housing solutions, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) is now on the move to review its vetting process to ensure that housing solutions are provided to those truly in need of it.
Making this announcement, today, was the CH&PA Operations Director Denise King-Tudor, during the entity’s year-end press conference.
Her statement comes on the heels of persons crying foul in the agency’s selection process. The Minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for Housing, Annette Ferguson herself, admitted today, that the system was not “fair”. After her transfer to the ministry earlier this year, the minister noted that some persons “were not being treated fairly”. The minister said that there are still applications in the system dating back to the 1990’s.
She said that come next year, the agency will be focusing on old applications.
Ferguson said that she will be pushing to have housing solutions provided to those that are in dire need of it.
Head of the CH&PA, Lelon Saul said the persons, who have the “means” to source housing solutions, should do so and leave the CH&PA to provide homes and lands for the “small man”.
King-Tudor said that the review of the process is being done to ensure that the financial information provided is accurate.
“We are in the process of reviewing our criteria and selection of persons because persons can come to us and provide documentation to say this is what I earn, but sometimes I am of the view that persons do not give us all the information pertaining to their financial status…So, we are in the process of reviewing the allocation criteria and the selection process. We are going to see some level of improvement in our selection process,” she said.
