Julius Espat and the PUP’s attempt at forwarding a National Housing Project is outright disrespectful and degrading. Under normal circumstances, a potential Government in waiting would upfront finance a housing project and then offer to the public on a mortgage option.
In this case, Julius Espat has unapologetically said to voters, “Unu poor people no deserve middle income housing cause we can’t trust unu to pay. But, you know what, go borrow the money and we will do unu a favor. We will provide you all with a starter plan and supervise the construction of a 12 x 26 starter home for you.” They bear no financial risk. It’s a wicked trick to play on the people.
According to Espat, it’s a starter home to be completed in three phase. The first phase for $20,000 gives a semi-studio apartment. The other two phases are optional when the home owner can afford. He says nothing is for free and the homeowner must seek funding. Everybody has to pay. He stated, “Even the homeowner to a certain extent has to be eligible to be able to get a financing agreement with a credit union.” In typical unconscionable PUP fashion, it is lost on them that there is a cost to financing and that financial institutions will not offer loans for an incomplete uninsurable project.
Sometime between 1993 to 1998, Hubert Elrington offered Belize City residents mobile homes as starter homes. The idea was that as people built the homes they would be transferred to another person and so on. If one drives around Belize one can still see evidence of those mobile homes as they have become permanent. The starter home idea also offers no utility/benefit to a poor family of eight. On the other hand, it may promote more social and hygiene issues than we wish.
For contrast, Espat’s 312 sq ft (12 x 16) dream house is $20,000.00 while Pletts Home Builders have a completed 20 x 40 800 sq ft house for $30,000.00. That’s 2 1/2 times Espat’s play house for $10,000 more. If Espat and the PUP wants to do something for the voters, they should do a turn key project and offer people homes on a mortgage basis. It is the responsible thing to do.
