New Home for Single Mother under Plan Belize Housing Project
The first of ten thousand homes under the Briceño Administration’s housing project was handed over today. The fortunate recipient is a single mother from Roaring Creek Village. The Government of Belize will absorb sixty seven percent of the cost of the home, leaving the recipient with a cost of twenty five dollars a week for the next ten year. After being processed by a vetting committee within the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, thirty-seven-year-old Karina Roches was approved to receive a new home. And, only days before Christmas, she received the keys at a handing over ceremony in Roaring Creek Village. News Five’s Paul Lopez was there.
Paul Lopez
Paul Lopez
“In the season of giving, one Roaring Creek Village Resident is celebrating, having received a new home. This one bedroom structure was built and handed over by the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing. It still serves as a forever shelter for this single mother and her child.”
Karina Roches
Karina Roches, House Recipient
“This afternoon was a special one for me as a young single mother in Belize with the challenges we face daily, today seeing an impossible dream for many years.”
Karina Roches will be receiving title to this house, part of the Briceño Administration promise to build ten thousand homes for Belizeans across the country. One year after the launch, Roches is the first recipient.
Julius Espat
Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing
“This week we will be delivering twenty houses. We did three in Cayo South, two this morning, one in Valley of Peace, Young Gial Area in Teakettle Village, this is Roaring Creek the third. Tomorrow we will be going to Dangriga, four in Dangriga, one in Cowpen. Wednesday the team will take over, because I have to join the Prime Minister in Orange Walk to deal with the Sarteneja Road. So, our team will be going out west, Cayo North East, Cayo West and Cayo North.”
Today’s handing over is one of ten thousand with thousands more to go. Minister Espat says he does not foresee the ten thousand homes being built within the next five years, because the budget will not allow for that. But, as they continue to build these homes, the Prime Minister asks Belizeans to look at who will get them, namely the less fortunate.
John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“I think what you need to look at is that here we have a decent house being built for a much needed citizen of this country, a single mother with a child that would have never had access to the banks. So, as opposed to looking at a number, look at what we are doing. Of course, we want to build plenty more than what we said under Plan Belize. But, what you do in a manifesto, you set targets, you set goals. And, the idea is now to be able to work to that every single day to get to that goal. But also, trying to do that in such a way it will affect and improve the lives of those who need it, like single mothers in this country that the Ministers says, wither don’t have a height paying job, or no job, and do not have access to financial institutions. We built a home you can be proud of.”
And, Karina Roches was filled with pride when she cut the ribbon. She says this opens up the opportunity for her to move out of her mother’s home, with her child, and to have a space she can finally call her own.
Karina Roches
“You know I have always dreamed of owning my own home and it actually became a reality. So I thank God for that.”
For News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
