NHT not giving young people a chance to be homeowners
Dear Editor,
I would like to highlight the growing concern of young professionals and the working class with regard to the National Housing Trust (NHT).
For individuals like myself, the NHT sells dreams and gives us hope of obtaining that benefit of owning our own house, but the question here I would like to ask is: Who is it benefiting exactly?
I find that I and others within the age bracket of 20 going on 30 have a harder time reaping the benefits the NHT sells.
We are told that we need to have a particular amount of points, which I understand are generated from weekly contributions, and from the website it is stated that, “Applicants are awarded 20 points for every 52 weeks (one year) of contributions,” and that, “for example if you were contributing for 10 years (the same as 520 weeks) then you would earn (20 points x 10 years= ) 200 points.
People who earn less income earn more points in the selection system, but what does this mean?
I asked the NHT about this by contacting the customer care office, but from what I was told the points aren’t much of a great deal in regard to the selection process, which obviously isn’t the case, as stated on the website.
My peers and I have been talking and looking on the NHT’S social media platform. We read the comments, which are almost all negative. I remember specifically reading one girl’s comment stating that this would be her fourth time applying for a housing scheme home with the NHT without success. If nothing else, we can note that there’s some deep consistency.
People have said that it seems the NHT only caters to contributors who are much older, with well over 600 points; making their mortgage payments some $60,000 per month, of course depending on age. If true, this would definitely explain why we have been left out of selection.
Some of us hold the opinion that it would be better if we had the option to not contribute to the NHT and put our money into a private entity as that would be more beneficial.
Please, let it be noted that I am not writing to degrade the NHT in any way. I know members of my family who have reaped benefits that the NHT has provided, both present and in the past. I am just trying to highlight the growing concern of those who are willing and ready to make the necessary sacrifices to own a house.
I understand that the NHT receives a high volume of applications for the few units, but we still do believe more can and should be done.
Perhaps the NHT needs to think outside the box when getting contractors to build units. Maybe the NHT should invest in other types of housing solutions.
My point is, again, we, the working class young professionals, are concerned that there is an impossibility of obtaining a housing solution from the NHT at our age, and believe the NHT should do more to include us to give us that chance of becoming homeowners. Klamar Wint klamarwint@gmail.com