Since 2010, approximately 650 members of the protective services have either bought properties or are in a rental arrangement for properties from the Housing Development Corporation (HDC).
Over the period 2010 to 2015, the available stock of houses for distribution amounted to 6,000. This means 10.8 per cent of all allocated houses over the past five years were occupied by members of the protective services, Housing Development Corporation CEO Jearlean John said yesterday.
The HDC released the information yesterday in the wake of statements by Fire Services Association president, Leo Ramkissoon, that firefighters were threatening to take action regarding the non-provision of government housing to members.
Ramkissoon said fire officers had not been given housing provision under the government policy of ten per cent of all housing for several years, and called on Minister of Housing Roodal Moonilal or the Prime Minster Kamla Persad-Bissessar to intervene.
He said the Government statement that officers had been in receipt of housing was totally untrue.
However, a list provided by the HDC yesterday showed that of the 650 houses distributed to service people over the past five years, fire officers received 33.
The Police Service benefitted the most from the policy, with 397 police officers receiving housing allocations in the past five years. Coast Guard officers received an allocation of 20 units, Defence Force soldiers and officers received 100 and prisons officers received an allocation of 100 units over the period.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, through the HDC, is guided by the Cabinet-approved National Housing Allocation Policy 2008 (Cabinet minute 2730 dated September 25, 2008).
This policy provides for a specific percentage appropriation of housing stock within specific categories.
Protective services are defined as officers serving within the police, fire, army, prison and coast guard services, and coincides with the definition for “servicemen” as presented within the question.
Yesterday, John said that the corporation was slightly over the margin allocated by Cabinet.