Forty-two (42) families across Dominica have received keys to their new homes under the Housing Recovery Project (HRP), with fifteen beneficiaries hailing from the Kalinago Territory.
The beneficiaries received their keys during a handing-over ceremony held at the State House Conference Centre on Monday.
“The Housing Recovery Project spearheaded by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, since its launch in 2019 has been a beacon of hope for families whose lives were shattered by the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria and since its inception, the project has been dedicated to providing resilient housing solutions to households facing unimaginable challenges, ranging from financial constraints to the fear of adverse weather conditions in their current accommodations,” Housing Minister Melissa Poponne-Skerrit said while addressing the ceremony.
She continued, “As we come together to hand over 42 new homes, we celebrate not just a step closer to our target of providing resilient homes or ensuring that our housing stock can withstand future hurricanes, we are here to be a witness to the shared resilience and determination of the families who will now call these fortresses their homes.”
It is “[important] to note approximately 90 other homes are currently under construction and several are under mobilization or bidding stage,” she revealed.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said his government appreciates what housing means to people.
“The reality is, I see some senior citizens there and I am a student of history as well. This was never the case in Dominica before and in defense to previous parties in government, housing is not a fundamental responsibility of a government,” he said. “This is why after Hurricane David Dominicans never got help from the government to build homes…”
Prime Minister Skerrit added, “People had to go into the forests and cut the logs that fell and galvanize that flew from somebody’s roof and knock them together, cut drums and flattened them and build homes, but we changed that as a government.”
He told the beneficiaries that this would be a sense of eternal pride and excitement.
“I am speaking and I am excited as if I am the one receiving a key this afternoon, because I know what to own your own home means, to be able to walk in your home, to sit and to enjoy the ambiance of it,” Skerrit stated.
Manager of the Housing Recovery Project, Dr. Genora Joseph said the HRP uses an unprecedented beneficiary-driven approach to construct homes and currently employs a cohort of 49 local contractors, many of whom have worked very diligently to deliver these homes.
“The project is a testament of the government’s commitment to achieving Dominica’s climate resilience and recovery plan target to ensure that over 90 percent of our housing stock is built or retrofitted in accordance with resilient building standards,” she explained.
Dr. Joseph said the HRP affirms its commitment to the sustainable development goals, “to ensure that we reduce inequalities in our nation and we achieve sustainable cities and communities.”
She said the fact that the government just recently handed over 73 homes a mere 3 months ago is a testament to the hard work.
Meanwhile, Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist at the World Bank, Suranga Kahandawa said the houses constructed under the HRP have been designed to withstand major hurricane winds and earthquakes.
He said further that the investment in the housing sector resilience is very important.
“I think we have seen the Government of Dominica is making a concerted effort to advance this agenda on many fronts,” he said. “We have seen efforts to build houses in safe locations, that is the most important thing.”
Kahandawa also explained that efforts are currently being made to strengthen houses that are vulnerable before possible disaster.
“There are initiatives going on with the World Bank and other development partners to identify vulnerable houses and strengthen them before events, so that the families can stay in their homes after disasters…,” he explained. “The temporary relocation after a disaster is a very painful process and I think these initiatives will make sure that after disasters the families can stay in their houses.”
Not a hut,are you a Jacka?Are you and idiot?How can Labour give them notice if the vote UWP when UWP will be the Government.For your information there are several UWP supporters who have been given houses by the Labour party government,and some Labourites are mad,and I agree.UWP can never win an election in Dominica.The house is in the receiptiants name.Registered in the receiptiants NAME.A key given to John John for John John house.
DNO, 15 bebeficiaries were from the Kalinago territory as stated in your report. Were the communities of the other 27 indicated? This information would have allowed for a better understanding of the distribution patterns
When they get notice to leave because they turn their support to UWP then there’ll be chaos. It’s really not their house. To me it’s similar to being put in prison for life with the permission to go out and come in. And in that prison you have to buy your own food and take care and maintain the government property. Me! Not me papa. I don’t want Roosevelt house. And you have no choice of neighbors. A real slump. Bedbugs and roach 🪳 migrating from one house to the next. 😂😂😂😂
You are damn right D’s in the USA they don’t own houses.The state rent houses for those who cannot afford, with conditions that is called section 8.The drug and crime infested areas are called projects.
A line from Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If” comes to mind:
“Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools…”
That is what Dominicans did in the aftermath of Hurricane David. To quote the Prime Minister:
“People had to go into the forests and cut the logs that fell and galvanize that flew from somebody’s roof and knock them together, cut drums and flattened them and build homes…”
In my book, that was to the credit of Dominicans.
But the Prime Minister went on to say: “We changed that as a government.”
And sadly, in the process of changing from resourcefulness to state dependency, Dominicans lost more than they gained.
I really wanna know when is Laudat going to be one of the villages they’re going to hand keys too as mentioned.. HRP Housing Recovery Projects Promises Promises. I think the people that was promised houses from the government need to be revisited.
Garcon,all papers and documents are in the beneficiaries name,and will remain so untill they die.So all you UWP aholes want the Government to give people free houses,and then the people turn back and sell the houses they got FREE?That is the level of stupidity invested in UWP acolytes.UWP want to see a house given to a beneficiary FREE be shared equally amount the beneficiary’s closest relative.
Ifill that man. Ifill what you doing there? For blows you hitting Skerrit and the Government you even occupy front seat! So now you singing for your super. Hypocrite!
Picture perfect evidence for you and the other wicked and envious UWPwee supporters that all shall “eat” under the DLP Government, irrespective of party colour. Even blues are getting a resilient house!
handed over by the government , FUNDED BY THE WORLD BANK. WHY DIDNT YOU ZANFAN MENTION THAT SO VERY IMPORTANT PART?
Ermm…slow down lady, so you fink dat is free largan by the world bank nah?
Oh, and by the way, even when the financing is free, you think the Bnak will put their money in the hands of politicians whom they do not trust to use it well?
Testament to a hardworking and caring Government. Congratulations to the recipients!!
One of the most satisfying achievements is acquiring a piece of the rock and your own house. That is truly the Dominican dream.
Lying Roosevelt and his uneducated, semi-illiterate wife, handing over government owned houses to the dispossessed but exclusively to the ultra political diehards of the Labour Party.
These occupants can be evicted from these houses capriciously by Roosevelt as they have no legal entitlement to these houses they occupy. They are therefore bound to give the DLP their eternal loyalty.
Their economic status does not improve one bit. In fact, they find themselves in deeper financial indebtedness as they think they have to purchase new furniture and appliances to match their newly found ‘social status’.
The facts are simply this. The occupants of these new houses would be just as dispossessed as before until they get their instruments of ownership.
Deception at its best!
If you live in America, please check the Government-assisted housing to the unfortunate in the most advanced and richest country in the world. There is no comparison to the ones donated by Skerrit in Dominica. The ones in America are situated in the ghettos and look like dilapidated, abandoned homes, an invitation to drugs and crimes. Dominica is doing well, brother.
It is so sad that the unfortunate ones in Big America live in substandard housing and wait until 12 in the night whilst everybody is sleeping, open their back window and throw their trash in their back yard and back alley. Nasty. What a shame. I love Dominica. Dominica and its people are great. Forward Ever, Backward never for Dominica.
Congratulation to DNO for posting the news item so quickly.According to the people of St.Joseph,those dat people good.I am very happy for those people who received houses.That is more nails, screws and glue in the coffin of UWP,a do nothing useless,lazy political party.I worked in the USA and built a beautiful and comfortable house in Dominica,so I know what it is to OWN your own house.Unlike the wicked UWP who want to destroy the people and see them begging and in poverty.UWP will never and can never win an election in Dominica.
“I am speaking and I am excited as if I am the one receiving a key this afternoon, because I know what to own your own home means, to be able to walk in your home, to sit and to enjoy the ambiance of it,” Skerrit stated.
Do they actually own those homes though? Can they sell it? Can they use it as collateral on a loan? Can they rent it out to a third party? Just because you have the keys to something doesn’t mean you actually own it.
people are only proud of the things that they archieve
Then, why can’t they achieve on their own? Nobody is stopping them. Nobody stopped my father nor my grandfather. Did you achieve on your own? If yes, why can’t they follow into your footsteps? That is because you both are worth nothing in life, your bums. Do not just write rubbish for writing sake.
DNO, Pls fact check the questions posed by Hmm. As far as I know, the World Bank Housing Project builds houses for people whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Maria. The houses are built on the site (if deemed safe) of the original house and on land owned by the recipient. The new house is the property of the recipient.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit please tell me who built Bath Estate into the residential village that it is from a lime and citrus estate? That was the Government of Dominica! Also, please tell me who built the Canefield housing scheme? That was the Government of Dominica! There are other examples of housing schemes and villages built by past governments! So you are very wrong when you say that’ “The reality is, I see some senior citizens there and I am a student of history as well. This was never the case in Dominica before and in defense to previous parties in government, housing is not a fundamental responsibility of a government,” he said. “This is why after Hurricane David Dominicans never got help from the government to build homes…”
DNO, why does the media not do a Fact Check to correct incorrect assertions by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit? Certainly, the media can point the PM to the evidence or facts when he gets them wrong!?
Ask Blue Blue if the house PJ gave them in Bath Estate was “free” and then come back to do your fact-checking.