BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AFTER months of work compiling a National Housing Policy, Minister of Human Settlement the Hon. Eugene Hamilton said he has a document in hand that he would shortly be forwarding to Cabinet for ratification.
Work on the policy began in February 2016 after Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy S. Harris made a call for the process to begin.
While not divulging the contents of the document, Hamilton told SKNVibes that it is more than just a housing policy, because it contains several aspects of Human Settlement.
“As you are aware, my Ministry was given an additional opportunity to serve the public through what they call human settlement. Many persons in the country inquire of me every day about housing and building houses. Well, I have taken the matter very seriously because speaking to the subject of Human Settlement is not only housing. Human Settlement is a term adopted in 1976 in Vancouver when the United National had its conference.
“Of course it involves housing, land, infrastructure; and then once you have those, then you have the attendant support services like schools, businesses etc. So when I was given this Ministry I had to determine whether I would just talk about building houses or do I put a policy in place that really covers the concept of what Human Settlement is all about.”
Hamilton said he is satisfied with the work that the committee has done and promised that whenever the document is approved by the Cabinet, it would be made available for publicperusal.
“I set about earlier this year to put a committee in place headed by the Permanent Secretary Mr. Alistair Edwards. He, along with some other members of the public service, and even people in the private sector, began a course of action that led them into several meetings and I am satisfied from the work that they have done that I now have a document in hand which I am putting before my Cabinet very shortly.
“And as soon as Cabinet approves, this policy document on Human Settlement would be made available to the public.”
