The Public Rental Board manages 21 estates Fiji-wide and there is a wait list of families for these vacant flats.
According to PRB’s community officer Sitiveni Tabua as soon as the renovations are completed, people on the waiting list are contacted on a first come first served basis to move in.”
All the families are reminded that PRB flats are only transit flats for them to later migrate to you’re their own home or to their village at the end of the rental tenure.
“The government has been kind by assisting these families during their stay through weekly rental subsidy assistance,” he said.
Mr Tabua said the board had also changed the subsidy criteria lately to encourage tenants to get a job if they wanted to rent at PRB.
He said no employment meant the tenant would not qualify for a rental subsidy assistance unless they were in a distress status.
Meanwhile the PRB had also amended the number of years a tenant can reside in a PRB flat from an indefinite period to six years only.
Mr Tabua said during their six years tenure, those that received rental subsidy needed to be reminded that it’s not extra money for them to spend unwisely but the savings from subsidy was for them to save towards their housing funds.
“Those assisted are better off than other workers of the same low income who are paying private rent.
They need to have a goal and financial discipline to migrate to their own homes. “PRB is also providing financial literacy training for all tenants to teach them to use their finances wisely and save.
We want them to be successful families.”
Sharing some stories from former tenants Mr Tabua said former tenants such as Luke Vosavakaweli who was renting at the Simla estate Lautoka for 15 years, had bought a property worth $50,000 at Khan Rd, Nadi.
Mr Vosavakaweli said he was aware from the date he was allocated the flat that he was only there to transit and one day, he must move out of the flat.
He found a suitable property and made a deposit for it through his Fiji National Provident Fund. Another former tenant Sisa Maqala who was renting at the Naodamu Block 9 estate Labasa for 13 years, has purchased a $54,000 property at Delailabasa.
According to Mr Tabua he was also aware that PRB properties are only transit flats and they kept searching for a property until they found one and has now vacated PRB.
His observation is that even though affordable lots are scarce, a lot of tenants are too comfortable renting, and they don’t make an effort to start a search anyway.
They need to start searching.
