Paulina Quintao – More than 100 Millennium Development Goal (MDG) houses are sitting abandoned in Lospalos sub-district in Lautem as the residents they were intended for refuse to live in them due to their poor condition.

Ministry of Social Solidarity social assistance national director Amandio Freitas said 150 houses were built in Lautem but 124 were unoccupied. "10 families are living in the houses but 124 houses are vacant because they don't have clean water or electricity," he said.

He said this was a problem not only in Lospalos but also in other places around the country.

Freitas said the issue had been raised with the National Development Agency (ADN).

The houses were intended to house vulnerable people such as widows, the elderly, the disabled and the poor, he said. Across the country, there are 374 MDG houses, most of which are vacant.

Member of Parliament Aurelio Freitas Ribeiro lamented with the policy as the government has spent much money but it was abandoned. "Our observation is those houses are poor of quality and it's currently damaged, no water and no electricity," questioned MP Ribeiro.

He added, the MDG house construction has spent much money and every house only has two rooms, each costs almost $11,000 to build.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/news/13076-lospalos-mdg-houses-sit-abandoned