Official opening of the Flamboyant Housing Estate, Mont Fleuri |08 October 2021

President Ramkalawan and Minister Rangasamy after unveiling the plaque to inaugurate the housing estate

More families get their housing units

By Laura Pillay

Families who have qualified for a housing unit at the Flamboyant Housing Estate, Mont Fleuri were yesterday allocated with their two-bedroom flats during a brief ceremony organised by the Ministry of Lands and Housing.

The housing estate project which comprises 16 units spread across two blocks commenced in February 2018 and was completed in August 2021, to a sum of R15,642,393, 59. As part of the redevelopment project for the area, tenants include families who were residing there before and who were made to move out, as well as a couple of critical cases in the district.

Present for the ceremony were President of the Republic Wavel Ramkalawan, Vice-President Ahmed Afif, and other government officials from ministries, departments and agencies responsible for land and housing.

Minister for Lands and Housing Billy Rangasamy in his address detailed government’s efforts to provide housing solutions amid scarce land and with limited resources, and took the opportunity to wish the new tenants the best in their new homes.

“The international theme chosen for this year’s Habitat Day is ‘Accelerate action towards a better environment’. Within the Seychelles context, this relates well with government’s new vision in this conversation,” Minister Rangasamy said.

“The intention of the vision is not just to observe the theme, with the perspective to reduce the impacts of construction on our natural environment. It goes further than this. It also touches our immediate environment that means at home – through the human aspect. At this point, allow me to underline the importance of the family structure and social value in all our communities and country at large,” Minister Rangasamy noted.

The minister added that the ministry’s main objective is to reduce the period of timeframe of the redevelopment projects and the number of applicants who are deserving, and have to wait for their homes. As such, it is engaging with the private sector, commercial banks, contractors and serious applicants to accelerate the process.

President Ramkalawan joined Minister Rangasamy in unveiling the plaque marking the inauguration of the estate. They also visited the housing units and interacted with the families moving in.

Laura Pillay

Photos by Jude Morel