And Finnegan proposes debt forgiveness for the poor

But that was not the only “write-off” that the Minister of Housing, Michael Finnegan, mentioned today. Finnegan made public that he has submitted a proposal to cabinet that the poorest of the poor—meaning those who absolutely cannot afford to pay—outstanding debts at the housing department be forgiven.

Michael Finnegan, Minister of Housing
“Yoh see all dehn lotta money weh dehn poor people owe dah Ministry of Housing fi rental over di years weh government lend poor people money fi lee housing and dehn house rent weh deh fi pay. Man poor people can’t pay house rent. Poor people got thousand and one pickney fi send dah school, dehn got health care fi look afta fi deh family. Dehn lee house rent dehn can’t mek it and I have taken to Cabinet some months ago, I have made an announcement of dis and di Ministry shortly wah write off millions of dollars of rental owing to di Ministry of Housing we deh deh fi years weh poor people just cannot pay. Tek for instance di last money from di Venezuelan money that was implemented by di former administration, it was on a loan basis. I have recommended to government also and they have agreed that all that will be written off. Not from those who can pay. Those who can pay and mi get piece ah di Venezuelan money, pay dehn wah pay, and I wah mek sure dat deh pay.”

According to Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Housing, Dwight Tillett, almost six million dollars worth of grants and loans from the Venezuelan grant have been approved. Twenty-four houses have been completed, eight are currently in production and the construction of twenty more is scheduled to begin this week. So far over two thousand people have applied for grants and loans countrywide.