A low-cost housing project, which will see a million houses built for low-income health volunteers in 27 provinces, has been launched with the construction of the first such houses beginning recently in Chachoengsao.
The project is aimed at helping health volunteers -- many of which are poor farmers -- in return for their dedication and contribution to the country's continuing fight against Covid-19.
Witsanti Homngan, a 50-year-old health volunteer in tambon Nong Mai Kaen in Chachoengsao's Plaeng Yao district, who will become the first person to get a new house under the project, said he would have never been able to afford his own home if it wasn't for the project.
Mr Witsanti, who currently lives in a home he shared with his mother and his three children, said he began saving up 2,000-3,000 baht last year to build a new room for his eldest child. Adding a single room to the house alone costs more than 20,000 baht, he said.
"A farmer like me is unlikely to be able to afford a new house, which requires a lot of money," he said.
Under the new project, he will be allowed to pay a monthly instalment of 2,500 baht over a period of 20 years.
The project was initiated by B.Grimm Power Plc, the People's Institute for Primary Health Care, the October 14 Foundation and the club of village health volunteers.
Founded more than four decades ago, the village health volunteer project is mostly manned by poor farmers who have been trained by health care professionals to support their community disease prevention and health promotion work, said Mathee Chanjaruporn, president of the People's Institute for Primary Health Care.
These volunteers have only recently begun receiving a monthly allowance of 1,000 baht in return for work, he said.