Minister Pennelope Beckles distributes cheques to deserving applicants under the Home Improvement Grants Programme

On Friday 06 August, 2021 the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, the Honourable Pennelope Beckles presented cheques to ten (10) beneficiaries, under the Ministry’s Home Improvement Grant Programme (HIG), at a distribution ceremony held at the Arima Community Centre, Anglican Street, Arima. The recipients of this grant allocation are from East Trinidad.

The Home Improvement Grant Programme forms an integral part of the Ministry’s Housing initiatives. Since 2004, the Programme has assisted thousands of qualifying families across Trinidad, including those who received their cheques today. This will enable them to effect critical repairs and upgrades to their existing homes, and improve their living conditions.

For this fiscal year thus far, the Housing Programme Facilitation and Implementation Unit of the Ministry, as administrator of the Home Improvement Grants Programme, has been able to disburse three hundred and seventy-seven (377) cheques in the sum of $4,245,100.00, to deserving applicants throughout the country.

In her address, Minister Beckles indicated that the Ministry will be distributing an additional hundred and five (105) home improvement grants, at a cost of $1.575Mn, over the next few weeks to recipients in other communities. The Minister also told recipients that while the funding may not allow them to do all that they would like to, it should still assist with critical house repairs and upgrades. The Minister went on to urge recipients to honour their agreement with the Ministry and use the monies received for its intended purpose, as the Ministry would like to process as many of the applications received as possible, despite the Ministry’s limited resources.

The Minister told recipients that the fundamental aim of the Programmis to assist low-income families,who do not have the financial means to carry out critical repairs or upgrades to their homes, moreso, during these very challenging times. Therefore, the importance of this $15,000 non-refundable home improvement grant cannot be over-emphasized, as it has changed circumstances and enhanced the living conditions of many, many families across the country.

Also, in attendance were Minister in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the Honourable Adrian Leonce, Permanent Secretary Claire Davidson-Williams, Deputy Permanent Secretary Nirmala Ramlogan, Manager of the Housing Programme Facilitation and Implementation Unit Mrs. Hermian Smart-Findlay.