The Trinidad and Tobago Blind Welfare Association (TTBWA) has raised significant concerns regarding the exclusion of visually impaired citizens from the Housing Development Corporation’s (HDC) 2025 housing allocation program. Despite the distribution of over 120 housing units this year, not a single blind or visually impaired individual benefited from the national initiative.
In a December 25 media release, the advocacy organization emphasized that housing represents far more than mere shelter—it constitutes a fundamental component of independence, dignity, safety, and social inclusion. The association highlighted the particular vulnerability of blind and visually impaired individuals, who frequently encounter persistent barriers to employment, income stability, and accessible living environments.
The TTBWA articulated that persons with disabilities possess equal rights as citizens and legitimate expectations to benefit from public housing programs, especially when vulnerability and extended waiting periods are recognized as qualifying criteria for housing assistance.
The organization has called for deliberate inclusion measures in future housing distributions, improved tracking mechanisms for disabled applicants, and enhanced collaboration with disability representative organizations to develop truly inclusive housing policies. They emphasized that national progress should be measured not merely by the quantity of homes delivered, but by the inclusivity of that progress.
The TTBWA has expressed its readiness to constructively engage with policy-makers and housing authorities to ensure more equitable outcomes in future allocation cycles, advocating for systemic changes that recognize housing as a fundamental right for all citizens regardless of physical ability.