Say no to rent

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf says it is about time that Liberians stopthe paying of rents in their various communities by making maximum use of newly dedicated housing units constructed by the National Housing Authority or NHA in Brewerville City.

President Sirleaf dedicated 70 new housing units intended for low income earners at the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation or NASSCORP  Village in Brewerville, Montserrado County on Tuesday, 14 February.

“There is nothing to help somebody than to know you have a safe place to lay your head at the end of the day; that you don’t have to be looking around as to your children will sleep in some safety. And that’s what these projects are all about”, President Sirleaf said.

During the dedicatory ceremony, President Sirleaf recalled how Some 35 years back, government supported public housing, particularly referencing the Tolbert Administration.

She said the late President William R. Tolbert’s government did construct few housing facilities including the Cabra and Stephen Tolbert Estates that attracted her attention.

Having stepped in to get housing units constructed in her government, President  Sirleaf said Liberians can now make choices regarding owning homes. She said
NASSCORP and NHA have done their work and it was now up to citizens to keep and maintain the housing units.

For those who were getting mortgages to secure their units, President Sirleaf hope that they had understood when they assume ownership of their units for years but fail to meet the mortgage, they would stand the risk of having the units taken from them.

“I want to commend the same board that was able few years ago to complete  the ownership of those houses to those who have paid rent in many years; so today those people have the full ownership, the title to those houses and they can now afford no more to pay rent”, she said.

Ms. Sirleaf commended the NHA and NASSCORP for carrying out “a good job”.  She said the institutions were embarking upon the next phase of the project that they started in Marshall, Margibi County and had completed certain units.

She acknowledged that NHA could not have carried out the work without  NASSCORP that has been giving support to ensure that the welfare of the  Liberian people are met.

By Lewis S. Teh -Editing by Winston W. Parley