By Mark Mengonfia, mmenginfia@gmail.com
The Managing Director of the Nationals Housing Authority (NHA), Celia Cuffy-Brown says the institution has signed contracts with international investors to construct over 200,000 housing units in various parts of Liberia.
It is estimated that each of the housing units will cost US$10,000. 00 to construct and will be sold at around US$11,000.00 through government’s partnership with private investors.
Madam Brown spoke Friday, May 29, 2020 via a phone interview on the state broadcaster, ELBC’s live Super Morning Show in Paynesville, outside Monrovia.
The NHA Managing Director said when she was appointed, among the first things she did was to attract investors to the country’s housing sector.
“I organized three days housing forum,” she said.
The NHA boss indicated that the three-day event attached many partners/ investors, because it brought investors from near and far around the world.
According to her “those investors are providing the funds.”
She said currently, the NHA projects are ongoing at various locations in Liberia indicating that some are at the point of completion.
Madam Brown indicated that the house are being constructed on a class basis stressing” we have some for working class people and people who can afford their two bedrooms.”
According to her, the houses are poor people’s houses.
“Those houses are affordable houses because we need to get the investors’ money out. So if we used US$10,000.00 to construct a house, probably we give it out for US$11,000.00,” the NHA Managing Director said.
She also spoke of the Pro Poor houses that are being constructed by the Weah-led government for the ordinary people.
Giving a brief flashback when she was preferred by President George M. Weah, she said the institution’s account was nearly empty, something she said nearly discouraged her from taking on the job.
But laughing with her interviewer, she said: “I came from the Freeport of Monrovia and coming to a place that is empty had people say all kinds of things how, but I consulted God and He confirmed the job.”
As it is now, she said the institution has attached more investors to the point that she and her team are no signing anymore contracts; although partners are still expecting interest in investing in the housing sector of Liberia.
“It is our job, it is the job of every government official to resuscitate where they have been trusted to perform,” the Liberian Housing Authority boss intoned.