[File Photo]

The Public Rental Board will complete and manage the long-stalled Lagilagi Housing Estate, offering hope to residents of Jittu Estate who have waited over a decade for affordable housing.

The Cabinet endorsed the PRB’s involvement yesterday, marking a new chapter for the project initially spearheaded by the People’s Community Network Charitable Trust.

The ambitious project, envisioned over ten years ago, aimed to provide low-cost housing units to Jittu Estate residents living in informal settlements.

PRB General Manager Timoci Naleba emphasized that the PRB will prioritize those most in need when allocating the new units.

“So there are 36 empty flats, so once that is completed, you know PRB has its own processes. For people to apply for these empty flats, but as I said, there are certain criteria’s to be followed, and there are also instructions by the Ministry for Lands and Housing on how those processes will be followed.”

PCN received $12.7 million for the project, but construction fell short of expectations.

While 44 units were completed in 2015 and work began on 76 more in 2017, only 40 were finished, leaving 36 units unfinished.