Millionaires’ names have been discovered by the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) on its list of applicants for low and middle income housing.

Minister in the Ministry of Housing, Tina Gronlund-Nunez, told the Senate that this is just one of problems in the administration of the application of, and distribution of, public housing that had arisen within the past five years and have had to be addressed since November 8, 2007, which is the date that marked the beginning of her tenure and that of Housing Minister Emily Gaynor Dick-Forde.

’From early in our term in office it was immediately evident that the business of the HDC was not being conducted in a manner as to ensure delivery of its mandate,’ Gronlund-Nunez said.

She was contributing to the 2009/2010 Budget debate in the Senate at the Red House, Port of Spain, on Wednesday night in response to claims by Opposition Senator Dr Sharon-Ann Gopaul Mc Nicol that there was rampant discrimination in the Government’s ambitious housing programme that began in 2003.

’We faced individuals in this country who have a little too much greed. We had millionaires on our database. In fact, we had individuals who weren’t even living in the island of Trinidad or Tobago on our database and in some cases they did not even disguise their address. We made many changes to the policy to ensure that those who need are the ones who will be the beneficiaries,’ Gronlund-Nunez said.

Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley, who was a witness in the recently concluded Commission of Enquiry that examined some aspects of the controversial Cleaver Heights housing project, served as the Housing Minister from November 10, 2003 - November 7, 2007 .

Under Rowley’s tenure hundreds of public housing units were distributed to applicants of the HDC which replaced the National Housing Authority (NHA) in 2005 and Gronlund-Nunez mentioned this but made no specific reference to the Diego Martin West MP.

’When we started a little under two years ago, over $1 billion... had been spent. Over 10,000 houses started but only less than 100 persons were able to complete their mortgage transactions. Mr Vice President, most of our beneficiaries were living in houses under a licence to occupy arrangement. We immediately realised that this was not a viable solution for the long term,’  Gronlund-Nunez said.

She said that today, in order to be allocated a HDC home, ’the gross combined household income cannot cross $25,000.’

’In order to be allocated a HDC home, the onus is one the beneficiary to demonstrate they have been living within this country for the last five years. The focus, today, Madam Senator, is to first time home owners,’ Gronlund-Nunez said directly to Gopaul Mc Nicol.

Gronlund-Nunez said there are 64 public ongoing housing projects and the Housing Ministry is well on its way to meeting its target of the construction of 8,000 housing units per year.