Dear Claudienne,

I have contributed to the (National Housing Trust ) NHT for 18 years and it seems that my hope for any benefit from them is an unrealistic dream.

My salary for the past five years has been under $10,000 per week. My employment contract is based on an hourly rate of $211, and even when additional incentive pay is added my salary is still below $10,000 per week.

All of the information about my pay has been submitted to the NHT.

I have applied to the NHT three times to get help through the home grant to buy a house but my applications were rejected or denied.

I first applied in January 2013 but my application was rejected/refused because I couldn’t afford the deposit on a studio unit. I later learnt that one of the purposes of the home grant was to help the NHT contributor to make up the funds for a deposit.

The second and third applications in March and May of 2016 were denied but no reason was given. However, the NHT in a letter to me indicated that they had assessed my salary for the past two years to determine my eligibility for the home grant — but did not disclose their findings.

I am in genuine need of the home grant. The cost of an average one-bedroom apartment is about five million dollars and a lot costs more than $2 million. On the NHT private treaty website the average one apartment unit is five million dollars and a lot with a foundation layout is over three million dollars. The market price for a house or lot is way above what I can get to borrow from the NHT, therefore I would have to find the difference, which I can’t.

I would like to know if the home grant is real or not, because, based on the NHT policy for the so-called home grant, I should have been eligible on the three occasions that I have applied. However, if an application is denied I would think that as standard protocol a reason for the denial should be given.

On April 22, 2016 my Member of Parliament (MP) Dr Horace Chang was on a tour in Montego Bay. I had a brief conversation with him about my dilemma with the NHT. Dr Chang took my contact information but never contacted me.

I would appreciate your help to make the NHT management aware of my situation and how my applications were treated. I would really appreciate your help.

I have kept copies of all the documents that I have submitted to the NHT.

HA

Dear HA

Tell Claudienne has been in communication with the NHT and they have sent us a statement which reads as follows:

Please go to the nearest NHT office and discuss your plans with them.All the best.

“The purpose of the Home Grant is to assist contributors whose NHT loan affordability does not allow them to access a basic housing unit.

The general policy is that persons earning up to $12,000 weekly and contributing for at least seven years may be eligible for a Home Grant. The maximum Home Grant that a person may access is $1.5 million.

However, conditions apply. The Home Grant and the applicant’s affordable loan amount combined must not exceed $4 million. In HA’s case, just the loan that he can afford exceeds $4 million. He therefore does not qualify for a Home Grant.

The NHT would be happy to discuss with him various other avenues to home ownership and therefore invite him to visit the nearest NHT office for such a discussion. The NHT has made contact with HA in that regard.”

The NHT has toldTell Claudienne that you could for instance possibly buy a lot. The NHT would lend you a maximum of $2 million to buy the land. In addition to acquiring the lot you would also be able to purchase a first step home (a super studio) from the NHT. The super studio unit consists of a big room with a floor area of 20ft x 16ft that includes space for a kitchen and bathroom. The cost of a super studio with a concrete slab roof is $1.93 million. A super studio with a metal roof costs $1.6 million.

Please go to the nearest NHT office and discuss your plans with them.

All the best.

Have a problem with a store, utility, a company? Telephone 936-9436 or write to: Tell Claudienne c/o Sunday Finance, Jamaica Observer, 40-42 1/2 Beechwood Avenue, Kingston 5; or e-mail: edwardsc@jamaicaobserver.com. Please include a contact phone number.