Dear Editor,
I was listening to the DBS news yesterday (June 15) and I heard the Minister of Housing, Hon. Reginald Austrie speaking of an initiative to provide housing for young professionals who have returned home. Correct me if I am wrong but I think he also mentioned an age group, 40 years and up who are eligible for such initiative. And then I thought, why put an age limit? What about those of us who may be above 40 who require housing? Where does that leave us?
Don’t get me wrong, that is a very good initiative but why the age-limiting factor? Not all of us left Dominica having our own house to return to, not all of us were born with a silver spoon in our mouth that upon return we could just purchase a house.
But not only that, Mr. Austrie also mentioned that there are some people who went away on Government scholarships and never return home….while that holds some truth to it…did he consider the fact that some of us actually would like to come home, but may not be able to or come home to what really?
Many of us graduates are not able to find jobs in Dominica upon completion and I for one have no house to come back to. I would be renting and to do that I need a job at home not so? And by the way, before going away to study, I applied for housing and I never got through. So tell me Mr. Austrie, what do I come back to? Where is my start as a “returning graduate”?
Yes, I am a Dominican who went away to study and was assisted by the government for which I am grateful and yes, I would love to come back to my country (which I will by the way, when I am able to); no, I do not meet that age criteria for that housing initiative for “young professionals” but I am a professional all the same, and I have much to offer to my beloved country but like many others, left in the deep blue see without a lifeline. Some of us simply cant do better but to stay put until we can.
-A not-so-young professional living abroad
Correction: ***unemployed
Gwa Gel doesn’t have a clue what he is on about. Skerrit only deploys him when a certain amount of nastiness in the DLP propaganda is required. This man is a disgusting human being.
We have a tendency to propose programmes that are not practical and difficult to implement and consequently they are NOT successful.. Why no open the hosuing proposal with attainable criteria. priority for skills needed for appliocants can qualify and see how it goes often these proposals are constructed with latitude that they can be open to political bias and corruption
Dominica has nothing to come back to as a young or old professional. Absolutely nothing. It’s who you know and what party you surport. The hospital has openings for jobs and my friend who studied in Cuba had to go to St Lucia to find work. And a the open position in the hospital was left empty as the person doing the job was out on sick leave. I would not advise any professional to return to Dominica under the current climate and government . It will not be worth your time and headache to be back Dominica seeing how you can make a change in your field but being held back by political and silver spoon walls.
Stay where you are work make your money save. Buy a house then when u retire come to dca and leave in peace. That’s my plan.
While every effort should be made to provide some basis housing for disadvantaged people, that does not mean any and everybody has a right to own a house. If you can afford to buy or build a house, go for it. I do not believe the government should be in the business of building houses to hand over to people free of charge.
I think if that money were to go into developing industries that created jobs and economic activity, more people would afford to build or buy their own homes.
For the writer who went abroad to study and after many years and is still looking to the government to provide you with a free house, you need to ask yourself where it all went wrong.
And is money going into “developing industries that create jobs and economic activity”…is it? It is either you are being naive or jus plain ignorant. How many people employed in Dominica now? What is being given priority with regards to soci-economic development.
Those of us professionals who have integrity not looking for favours but gainful employment at least so that as you suggested we could build our own home. But if we have no employment what must we do, come home and suffer? And Dominicans living abroad are still Dominicans and we are just as entitled to benefits provided by the Government of Dominica, especially those of us who want to come home and make a contribution.
While every effort should be made to provide some basis housing for disadvantaged people, that does not mean any and everybody has a right to own a house.
Actually, yes everyone DOES have a right. It is a basic human right for everyone to have shelter. It is in every constitution, including Dominica.
It is a basic human right for evrryone to have shelter…it is in every constitution….including Dominica’s.
Correction : LIVING
What rubbish is this? Young professionals in Dominica leaving here through all the gwayay and paying taxes not getting housing but those overseas Mal Twavaye bad work)getting houses? Charity begins at home.
You better think 5 times before setting foot in Dominica.
Austrie and Roosvelt not good..they have killed the country..