Marleni Montoya gets fully furnished starter home from Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing

Photo Credit: Rubén Morales Iglesias

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: Marleni Montoya is planning to move into her new home that she received on Wednesday from the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing (MIDH) by the weekend.

Montoya is one of 50 Belizeans from Belize District who were impacted by Hurricane Lisa, who received their house keys from the MIDH on Wednesday morning at Blackberry Ridge Estate in Burrell Boom. According to the MIDH, the 50 will pay $100 monthly for ten years for the starter homes valued at $45,000 including 105 feet by 107 feet lots.

But Montoya is luckier than the other 49 as she picked key number 25 which was for the one home which had been fully furnished with a living room set, refrigerator, stove, bed, and other amenities. The 50 didn’t know beforehand which home they would get. All of the home recipients were given the opportunity to win the fully furnished house, and all chose from a box where the 50 keys were placed.

Montoya, who is a single mother of a two-year-old-child, was overjoyed.

“Surprised because I didn’t expect it would be me because I was one of the last persons of the group,” she told Breaking Belize News (BBN).

Marleni was happy that the house was painted white inside as it is her favourite colour. She said she couldn’t believe it when she was called for an interview since a friend who applied wasn’t called.

Montoya said she was recommended by Minister Francis Fonseca.

“She told me it would be like December,” Montoya said of the conversation she had with the MIDH representative.

“She would let me know if I was approved or not. Since she didn’t call me or message me or anything I thought I wasn’t approved. But then she called me last week. She told me last week I was approved.”

Montoya said at the moment she lives in the Freetown area of Belize City where she works. She plans to move to her new home by the weekend.

She said she looks forward to Blackberry Ridge Estate moving into a second phase which will offer stores, a preschool, and sports facilities.