It is really a sad day when the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) feels forced to evict those who have got'affordable housing' - rental or rent-to-own - but repeatedly failed to honour their contractual payment obligations.

Last week, Minister of Housing and Urban Development Ms Camille Robinson-Regis told Parliament: 'From the 394 evictions conducted over 2009-2024, some 376 were for illegal occupancy. In 2024, evictions have commenced for arrears and subletting.'

"Subletting?' This means these particular HDC tenants don't really need houses but seek to profit from taxpayers' generosity.

So far, Robinson-Regis declared that '$241.7 million was owed to the HDC' - payments outstanding 'from two and a half years-seven years.'

What! Seven years after numerous due-process reminders? Who was checking? No 'write-off.' Would they do this to private landlords?

Robinson-Regis had made similar complaints before. Forgiveness, like charity, has limits where public money is concerned. Set some badly-needed anti-corruption examples.

These are heavily subsidised housing to help ease the country's housing and homeless challenges. Let the country know, from the top to bottom, that lawless actions have serious consequences. The extortionists, the home invaders and even gangsters apparently believe that 'nothing will happen' afterwards.

Ms Robinson-Regis, quite commendably, seems determined now to stop the corrupt delinquency and put some required discipline and tenant responsibility into the HDC housing programmes.

But to what extent, really, should government be in a business with a bottomless pit? Further, these programmes have long been plagued by several related scandals, like back-room deals where some citizens pay and then fall prey to in-house scams.

Charge and prosecute now. Widespread allegations of political favouritism and nepotism also damaged public confidence in HDC, especially when hundreds of citizens have been waiting ten years or more for the opportunity.

The HDC pledges: 'It is important for the HDC to protect the public interest and engender a sense of faith in its ability to fulfil its mandate.' The HDC and government will gain public respect if Ms Robinson-Regis continues to hold the unruly bull by its horns.

At the same time, Social Development Minister Ms Donna Cox made this explosive statement in Parliament: 'There are areas of investigation by the ministry and TTPS that now require whistleblowers to come forward regarding fraudulent applications, misallocation of funds, conflict of interest in awarding grants, bribery, discrimination, nepotism.'

How many have been held?

She then made this hair-raising declaration: 'Some supermarkets still give food-card holders alcohol and cigarettes.'

This, too, bluntly exposes our deeply-rooted culture of corruption, which continually seems to overcome government management.

Cox added, 'Some of the fraud discovered include people with two food cards or people living in the US and collecting senior citizens' pensions.