The most important issues affecting our country all stem from the breakdown of the family and this can be solved by government intervention through relief efforts, taxation and legislation.

Why not utilise the Unit Trust, the Home Mortgage Bank and FCB to drive home ownership up? We cannot save the country until we rebuild and strengthen neighbourhoods and communities and that cannot happen without home ownership, so what are we waiting for?

Dealing with the issue of home ownership requires a two-pronged approach — taxation to deter real estate hoarding, and financial assistance for first time home owners.

Taking the latter first, the Government has a chance to create a massive middle class through the facilitation of finance to first time home owners with zero per cent interest and zero deposit for properties up to $1 million.

Land and property prices have been pushed out of reach by land barons and money launderers and this needs to be discontinued. I suggest using a sensible property tax in that on your primary residence there should be no tax whatsoever, but significante tax on your second property and increasing incrementally on each successive property owned.

There are other follow-ons from this including stimulation of the construction sector as well as the redevelopment of ancillary business aimed specifically at the home owner interested in maintaining and increasing the value of his property.

Statistics show that crime and drug use is down and education performance up in neighbourhoods and communities where there are more owners than renters.

Phillip Edward Alexander

Via e-mail