Pacific / Papua New Guinea

Church in PNG housing people in informal settlements

12:30 pm on 20 May 2019

A Catholic Archbishop in Papua New Guinea says he hopes the rest of the country can learn from his efforts to house internal migrants.

Archbishop Francesco Panfilo Photo: Archdiocese of Rabaul

Franceso Panfilo said he thinks he has the answer for the thousands of people living in informal settlements across the country.

In Rabaul, the church has been building modern houses for displaced people.

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Archbishop Panfilo said the church had raised funds and provided land for 16 three-bedroom houses, with the aim that, ideally, the settlers will eventually meet half the cost, through sweat equity or occasional payments.

But he said many can't pay anything and the church needs support.

Archbishop Panfilo said he wanted to give the government a sign that something was possible.

"To get these people out of the settlement and give them a piece of land and help them to have a decent house, where, probably, having such a nice environment.

"Also young people will not create problems anymore or become raskols."