A BACKLOG in rural housing assistance remains a challenge as Government continues to receive requests from families needing help to build homes.
Rural and Maritime Development Minister Mosese Bulitavu said demand for assistance continued to grow, but the ministry could only provide support based on available funding and resources.
“We can only do as much as the resources allow, and the more funding we receive, the more we can do,” he said.
Despite the backlog, he said the ministry had increased the pace of delivery compared with the same period last year.
“At the rate we are going, we are doing more than we did during the same period last year, which is a good indication of progress.”
He made these comments while opening the two-bedroom homes built under Scheme Three of the Rural Housing Assistance program in the district of Wailevu, Macuata.
He said the new model marked the first time Government had delivered a two-bedroom house under scheme three of the assistance.
Under the scheme, he said homeowners contribute timber while government supplies the remaining building materials.
“This is the first time we are having a two-bedroom scheme three house. We spent around $92,000 on the five homes, and it is all about helping people own homes.”
Mr Bulitavu said similar housing projects were in progress on Kadavu and in Lau, while several homes had already been completed on Rotuma.
He said they remained committed to helping more rural families own homes as funding became available.
