In a move towards inclusive development and social support for the most vulnerable in our society, the Honourable Vandana Mohit, Minister of the People, Social Development and Family Services (MPSDFS), met with the Honourable David Lee, Minister of Housing, to discuss the possibility of a strategic collaboration to provide fully accessible and outfitted housing solutions for persons with extreme disabilities and the elderly across Trinidad and Tobago. The meeting was held yesterday, Thursday July 17, 2025 at the Ministry’s Head Office on St. Vincent Street, Port of Spain.
This important initiative, once formalised, will be facilitated through the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and aims to identify and develop housing units (houses and apartments) that are purpose-built to accommodate the unique needs of persons with disabilities. These homes will be located in communities under the remit of the HDC and designed with accessibility, safety, and comfort.
In addition to supporting persons with disabilities, the initiative also proposes to address the housing needs of vulnerable elderly citizens, providing safe, affordable and appropriate living conditions for those in need.
Accompanying the ministers were key representatives from both ministries, including Senator Dr. Natalie Chaitan-Maharaj, Parliamentary Secretary (MPSDFS); Permanent Secretaries Mr. Ryan Ramcharan and Ms. Wendy Guy-Hernandez (MPSDFS); and a team of senior technical officers from this ministry. Senator the Honourable Phillip Edward Alexander, Minister in the Ministry of Housing, as well as the Permanent Secretary, Shanmatee Singh- Ng Sang and other technical staff from the Ministry of Housing, were also present to lend support and expertise.
This initiative falls in line with Government’s people-focussed, broader goal of expanding subsidized and affordable housing, ensuring that no citizen is left behind, in the pursuit of a better quality of life for all. It also reflects the core mandate of the Ministry of the People, Social Development and Family Services to help, empower, and transform lives, particularly those of vulnerable populations, and simultaneously reinforces the Ministry of Housing’s mission to provide affordable and accessible shelter solutions to all citizens, with special focus on the less fortunate and marginalized.