The rush for affordable homes is fueling Housing Authority’s move to develop a number of properties around Fiji’s capital, Suva, with a 220-lots project at Wainibuku scheduled to be delivered by the New Year.

Housing Authority’s chief executive officer Alipate Naiorosui told FijiLive they now have around 3000 customers from around the country who have registered their interest with them, and the company will be rolling out land lots and homes over the next three to five years to try to cater for this demand.

“We have a $6.7 million project at the moment in Wainibuku. We are funding that ourselves and it is expected to produce over 200 lots to be delivered next year.

“Now, through the support of the Fiji and Chinese government, a $70 million loan has been approved in principle and with that money, we hope to house 5000 more new home owners from the very low income earners - including squatters - to those in the middle income bracket,” Naiorosui said.

There are plans to begin development work on two other locations - a 184 acre property in Tacirua East and a 40-acre land in Nepani, outside Suva, and this will rely mainly on the success of the Chinese loan application.

“We want to get those projects rolling by the third quarter of this year so that by next year, we have some lots. The plan there is to have 1050 land lots developed from those properties over a period of three to five years,” Naiorosui said.

“So between Tacirua and Nepani, we are looking at close to 2000 families to be housed.”

He said the company had been talking to a wide range of customers, including those currently living in squatter areas, who have filed applications for these residential lots when they are available.