Port of Spain, Trinidad — At a star-studded 50th global anniversary gala and awards ceremony hosted at the Hyatt Regency Port of Spain last Thursday, Habitat for Humanity Trinidad and Tobago (HFHTT) national director Jennifer Massiah issued a urgent public call for expanded community, corporate, and state support to address a staggering unmet housing gap of roughly 100,000 safe, affordable homes for vulnerable families across the twin-island nation. The landmark event, themed “Let’s Open Doors, Together”, gathered local and global Habitat leadership, longstanding corporate partners, volunteers, and public dignitaries to celebrate half a century of the international humanitarian organization’s work advancing accessible shelter, while charting a collective path forward to tackle worsening local and global housing insecurity.
The evening featured a special tribute to long-time local collaborators, including a formal plaque presentation honouring Coosal’s Group of Companies for a decade of sustained partnership with HFHTT. Sieunarine Coosal, immediate past chairman of HFHTT’s Capital Campaign Cabinet and executive chairman of the Coosal’s Group, received the recognition from Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) chief executive officer Jonathan Reckford and HFHI board member Adrianne Todman during the proceedings. Other distinguished attendees included HFHTT chairman Derwin Howell, and HFHI’s regional vice-president for Latin America and the Caribbean Ernestro Castro Garcia. Cultural entertainment for the gala was provided by local beloved acts Exodus Steel Orchestra, Eko, the Shiv Shakti dance troupe, and Mr Strings.
Across all keynote addresses, speakers aligned around a shared core mantra of “Home. Community. Hope.”, emphasizing that stable, secure housing delivers cascading public benefits: improved academic outcomes for children, greater financial and personal stability for adult household members, and strengthened social cohesion across neighbourhoods. Massiah noted that the most acute housing shortfalls are concentrated in South and East Trinidad, and emphasized that reaching the 100,000-home target would not be possible without broad, cross-sector buy-in. “We keep building. Innovating. Keep partnering. We keep opening doors,” she told the audience. “The next chapter will require all of us: mission-aligned organizations ready to invest, volunteers willing to donate their time, communities eager to participate, and partners ready to walk alongside us. Habitat will remain focused on centering the people our mission exists to serve, because there are still doors to open, families waiting for opportunities, and communities that need intentional investment to build a shared future.”
HFHTT chairman Derwin Howell framed access to shelter as one of the most foundational, underrecognized pillars of community well-being. “A door can be a simple thing. But what lies behind it can mean everything,” he remarked. “Behind one door may be a child doing homework in a safe environment. Behind another may be a family experiencing stability for the first time.” He went on to acknowledge that every milestone HFHI has reached over its 50-year history has been made possible through collaborative action between low-income families, volunteers, donors, corporate allies, and government stakeholders.
Global HFHI CEO Jonathan Reckford shared updated organizational impact data, noting that the global Habitat network has supported more than 65 million people worldwide to build, renovate, or secure safe housing, including 36,467 people right here in Trinidad and Tobago. He acknowledged that the global affordable housing crisis has grown more severe in recent years, but emphasized that Habitat’s decades of on-the-ground experience positions the network to deliver tangible, scalable solutions. Adrianne Todman, HFHI board member, shared a personal anecdote of growing up in the United States Virgin Islands, noting her mother’s lessons about giving generously from a place of compassion and faith, and urging all attendees to contribute what they can to support vulnerable households.
Prior to the formal gala, HFHTT hosted a hands-on community service activity to mark the 50th global anniversary: a full home painting project for a family in Endeavour, Chaguanas, sponsored by CCC-Citibank. The volunteer build day drew participation from Trinidad and Tobago President Christine Kangaloo and other senior public dignitaries. The event also included a formal awards segment recognizing top local sponsors for their sustained contributions to HFHTT’s mission, with honourees including Coosal’s Group of Companies (Titanium Sponsor), Proman Trinidad, Atlantic LNG Company of Trinidad and Tobago, Phoenix Park Gas Processors Ltd, EOG Resources Trinidad Ltd, Point Lisas Nitrogen Ltd (Platinum Sponsor), Republic Bank Ltd, Acado Distribution, and the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago.