The Minister of State Administration, Mr. Miguel de Carvalho, accompanied by the Administrator of the Municipality of Aileu, Mr. Abel da Conceição, the National Director of PNDS, Mrs. Claudina Soares Pinto and remaining entourage, officially handed over, this Thursday, three more “Uma Kbiit-Laek” (UKL, acronym in tetun language – housing for the most deprived) for three vulnerable families, beneficiaries of this program in Suco (village) Tohumeta, Laulara Administrative Post, Municipality of Aileu.

Uma Kbiit-Laek (UKL) is a program within the policy of the 8th Constitutional Government, led by Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak, with the objective of helping to alleviate the situation of vulnerable families, with safe and decent housing, thus complying with the RDTL Constitution, in its article 58, on “Housing”, which states that “Everyone has the right, for himself and his family, to a house of adequate size, in hygienic and comfortable conditions and that preserves personal intimacy and family privacy.” Furthermore, housing is a basic human need.

After the handover of these “UKL”, the Minister of State Administration stated that, “the objective of the 8th Constitutional Government’s policy is that people live in good conditions. Part of that wellbeing is that everyone should have access to safe and decent housing. For that reason, the 8th Government has begun to look after the most vulnerable citizens in relation to housing, by building houses for them”.

The Tohumeta suco (village) head, Manuel Soares, representing the beneficiaries, expressed his joy and pride regarding the 8th Government, that came, with its good policy, to build houses for vulnerable families, through the National Suco Development Program (PNDS), and asked that this policy be continued, because there are still many families whose housing conditions are bad and that need the support from the Government.

The first stage of the “UKL” programme, in 2021, in the municipality of Aileu, foresees the construction of 99 houses, and the next stage, for 2022, is already included in the proposal presented for the 2022 General State Budget.

There are approximately 200,000 houses throughout the territory with poor conditions, according to the 2015 census report.