In the capital city of Belmopan today, fifty Belizean families received the keys to a brighter future, thanks to a major housing initiative by the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing. The occasion marked the official unveiling of fifty brand-new starter homes in the newly established Highland Estate community. These homes are part of a national effort to provide affordable housing to citizens who have never owned a home. From north to south, families from across the country gathered in Belmopan to celebrate this life-changing moment. For many, it was the first time they could call a house of their own. The joy was palpable as keys were handed over, symbolizing not just shelter, but stability, dignity, and a fresh start. The ministry says this is just the beginning, with more homes planned as part of its ongoing commitment to uplift Belizean families through accessible housing. News Five’s Britney Gordon brings us a full story.
Fifty families in Belize are celebrating a life-changing moment—they now have a place to call home. These brand-new studio houses were built and handed over as part of the government’s Low-Income Housing Program, aimed at helping those most in need. Prime Minister John Briceño was all smiles as he personally handed over the keys, sharing in the joy of the new homeowners.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“When we were handing over one to a family and the little girl is so excited and she wants to get into the house. And her mother is saying wait we have to inaugurate it, we have to cut the ribbon. And she’s so excited and we open the door and she’s the first one that rushes in. And the first thing she did was go to the bathroom where there’s a shower and where there’s a sewage, things that we take for granted. And she is saying ,om we have a shower in Spanish and then we have a sewage we no longer have to be bathing outside. And when you see it outside there was a little zinc thing no top, just zink around that is where they used to take a shower and then and room wit another toilet on the outside. We, those that are blessed and have the opportunity, we take these things for granted. But it’s not. These are the things that really start to make people’s live better and give them a sense of purpose.”
Lily Li-Wen Hsu, Taiwanese Ambassador
“I’d like to express my deep appreciation to the MIDH team for their dedication and excellent professional execution of the project. This project also reminds me that people of both our nations share a lot in common. Homeownership is one of them. Our people all desire to own a place we call home I think that’s why the provision of affordable housing is the shared commitment and common policy priority of both our governments.”
Affordable housing isn’t just about having a roof over your head, it’s one of the smartest ways to fight poverty and help families move up the economic ladder. It also plays a key role in improving other areas like healthcare, safety, and education. Since the launch of the starter home project in 2021, hundreds of low-income Belizeans have already seen their lives transformed.
“Our responsibility as government has to focus on the people that are never given that opportunity. It could be because of the color of their skin, it could be because of their religion, it could be because they come from villages. It could be many different cultural reasons why they are not given an opportunity. But we have to look out for them. That is the soul of this program. And I thank you Prime Minister, and I thank you for your government for assisting in elevating the soul of our nation. Because that is what we are fighting for, we are fighting. We are fighting for our Belizean people to be at a certain level where they can compete with anybody in the world. And this is a start.”
The government of Belize commits to continuing efforts to enhance the lives of Belizeans everywhere. Britney Gordon for News Five.