Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Melissa Poponne-Skerrit, has announced that her ministry has launched a Strengthening Homes Together Programme, a ‘Do it Yourself Hurricane Preparedness Initiative’ which forms part of government’s drive to build a climate-resilient nation.
According to the minister, this initiative aims to provide cost savings to residents by supplying hurricane ties and nails at zero cost to residents across Dominica.
“We believe that every home in Dominica should become its own hurricane shelter,” Poponne-Skerrit said.
She asserted that the recent extreme weather patterns should really not go unnoticed, “and so we must get ready for the upcoming hurricane season and preparedness is key.”
Poponne-Skerrit said her ministry will be providing steel anchors which are engineered to resist increased loads due to high winds and seismic events.
“Essentially it will help to prevent your roof from being lifted and damaged severely which can then expose you to the elements,” she stated. “
Furthermore, she pointed out that hurricanes can cause serious damage to properties and homes leading to financial losses and loss of assets.
“By strengthening homes against hurricanes we can mitigate potential damages caused by severe weather,” Poponne-Skerrit noted.
She continued, “When a significant number of homes are prepared and strengthened the overall country’s resilience is enhanced making you and your family safer.”
She urges all residents of Dominica to take advantage of this opportunity.
“Secure your roofs, your rafters, your wooden and your steel frames, help minimize hurricane damages to your homes,” Poponne-Skerrit advised.
She indicated that the government is committed to ensuring the safety and prosperity of all.
“This initiative is just one way in which we are working to achieve our goals,” she stated. “We will continue to introduce programmes aimed at improving the quality of life for all citizens of Dominica.”
Interested persons are asked to contact the various constituency offices or the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development for application forms and distribution information.
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The greatest threat to Dominica is not any natural disaster, it is the manmade disaster presently at the apex of government.
For the last two decades, the manmade hurricane has blown down most locally owned businesses; devastated the economy; eroded agriculture; gutted the treasury; obliterated truth, decency, morality, unity and tranquility.
This one man has done much more damage to the physical landscape, emotional well-being and psychological health to Dominica and its inhabitants than what any pending hurricane can ever do.
Use the ties and nails, Melissa, to restrict Roosevelt from further demolishing Dominica and its people.
Do you know that there are Dominicans still living under tarpauline from since the last hurricane?
Should we not prioritise those individuals wherever they may be across the island instead of the Labour party political milage scoring in certain villages?
And stop telling Dominicans that the government can only help them if they vote Labour party. You are very evil for doing that Mel, stop it. We all know and God is watching you.
It’s sad to see such a beautiful woman behaving so dumb is this age
What is beautiful about Melissa? I wish you would see her first thing at mornings before she puts on her heavy make-up.
Anyway, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Someone who could boast about navy seals and snipers has to the ugly on the inside. With her make-up she is a pretty devil.
So what can Melissa do to protect herself and others from hurricane Skerrit that is more dangerous than any storm and comes with devastating winds in season off season ?
The worse hurricane Dominicans have to deal with is Hurricane Roosevelt Skerrit that is destroying Dominica and no hurricane ties and nail’s can keep us safe from. In fact you can feel the impact of hurricane Skerrit and it’s only a matter of time before you are blown away
People when a goverment person having a press conference they normally have a flag of your country or books in their back ground that one have HP boxes maybe they emty but again show, am so mad, am dieing in laughter what a thing.
And you Mr Motivator what Ministry would you give Lennox Linton as leader of UWP?Lennox Linton has go GCE and CXC subjects.There are two doctors in the Labour government,I guess both should be minister of health.You are telling us Skerrit was a teacher,Alfred was a teacher and Roberts was a teacher,all should be made minister of education.That is the most stupid comments I have read.Edison James has more degrees in agriculture than any one alive yet,Peter Carbon was minister of agriculture.Doreen Paul,without any degree in health was minister of health.
What is wrong with my people eh, the dumbest person we have in dominica coming and tell people we have free nails for the hurrican season, thats what it come down too, man my country really going down the sewer. Dominicans that what it is, make up you all mind, the nonsence that going down there the world is watching people dont help people again if they are not helping them self what ashame. Dumb, dumber , dumbest.
Great initiative! I hope that folks will use the opportunity to reinforce their roofs and protect themselves, their livelihood, and their families. Great going, Mel!
What a wicked, immoral and self-centered couple – Roosevelt and Diva (Don & Diva).
These two egocentric guzzlers (R&M) use approximately $100 000 of taxpayers’ money per MONTH to live a most extravagant lifestyle while ten of thousands of Dominicans remain dirt poor unable to a proper meal.
Here does numb-skull Melissa handing out to these long suffering people strings and nails. What the people want are jobs and livable wages. They would then be able to fend to themselves and not rely in a perpetual state of mendicancy.
These two use most of the state resources to wantonly splash on themselves and their children while offering the desperately hungry citizens a few strings and nails. Outrageous! That is the epitome of Satanism.
Her Essay, her Glamour, please pardon my grammar but, she is everything school boys dream. Her ageless, timeless, intelligence, grace and fineness, her beauty and elegance.
Thank you. I always knew that you have very low standards. Didn’t you start off as a toilet cleaner…? Nuff said!
Noticing she want,just read the Jacka comment.Melissa do want noticing she already get all the noticing she want.Because of noticing she kicked out the UWP candidate in Roseau Central.Here goes the one from Wesley whose mother was once working in STABLES in Antigua.A man who is spending all his days as a homeless male prostitute on FIGUEROA street in Los Angeles.Every clear headed and level headed person in Dominica know what TIES are.TIES are used to secure the roof to the main building structure.But again that senior Jacka has not lived or visited Dominica in more than 20 years.A baboon in all form.
What did this godawful couple have to boast about before they got their unclean hands on tax payers’ money?
Melissa is nothing better than a plumb, brainless mannequin, and her male companion is just a hoarder of ill-gotten gains. Both deserve each other.
China may have provided those cheap weak nails; as nothing goes on in Dominica without China 🇨🇳 consent. But all that will come to an end some day. Free money (cool out) Free housing (Red Roof Inn) Free land for China 🇨🇳 which have more land than the entire Caribbean regions. Free Free Free but no Free and fair elections for Dominican citizens.
Anything provided by government is not free dear lady. It is paid for out of government revenue i.e. taxes, though I’m glad they providing something free of charge for people, who cannot afford to pay for these materials anyway. But nails for a hurricane? You do not remember Maria then. That storm did not even respect screws and for your information hurricane season is already here. Who is going to fix these places in time and who is the hardware merchant that has to supply these free materials. A cheap stunt I’m afraid to generate support from the malaway if you ask me, especially knowing some of our people still living in unfit accommodation since Maria.
I hope not only one setwii received because only vip laborites get everything Dominica open your eyes
Isn’t she a clever one and generous one, our second ‘lady’? Only in DA.
Yea to only your friends and supporters. I have a partna dealing with roof issues in Bath Estate since Maria. He tired ask all you for help.
I am left to wonder how carefully this initiative has been thought through.
Homes that lost their roof in Hurricane Maria would surely have been rebuilt with hurricane ties included. Whereas homes that didn’t lose their roofs presumably already had adequate means of securing the rafters to the wall plate.
Furthermore, it is difficult to fit hurricane ties to an existing roof due to access and varying timber scantlings. To do so correctly is beyond a “Do it Yourself” approach.
Aye Meh Lee Sa
What has Dominica come to. An empty woman heading a ministry an important one at that. No wonder Dominica has regressed its just miss fits. You have a minister like Laville with a Masters in Engineering, Civil at and a Prime Minister takes his wife put in housing and take this young man with all his knowledge and put him in Health. How can you young people with such great prospects and future throw it away by letting this non educated leader, cannot show his degree in 20 years. Guys you all have the power any of you can become the Prime Minister. You all a young, 20 of you come together and choose a Prime Minister. Rally behind one of you there are women doctors that are capable. What are you guys doing most of you intelligent educated individual would do a better job as Prime Minister. Don’t make this man damage your future. Take action elect a Prime Minister between you guys it’s the one who commands the majority is nothing he can do about it. Meet and appoint someone between you…
Thank you for stating the obvious and the free nails and screws. What an empty vessel. She hasn’t got a clue! Is that what we pay these people for? It’s time for this dynasty to go.
So, I wonder what is the definition of “ties” in Dominica English, or patios?
The only definition for the word “ties” I suspect; is:
“attach or fasten (someone or something) with string or a cord.” So, one may asks what is Melisa braying abut? She said she is giving out nails and strings, or cords to use in building resilient homes in Dominica. In the first and only resilient country on planet earth?
What kind of ignorant dumb, dunce, human reject who’s appearance look like some people came out of the prone industry the have in Dominica playing government minister.
Some people though they look and behave as one employed in the porn industry, could not find a job in America selling their flesh, can be a minister of government in Dominica, though they are unable to read and write properly!
What a shameful thing!
Nails and strings are the technology Roosevelt and Melisa brought to Dominica to build resilient roads, homes, and even resilient agricultural products
Porn…
Since you never wore one in America, I guess you won’t know the definition of tie. lol.
But ds, you seem to be more dumb than I thought you are!
Don’t you know that “ties, and tie” have the meaning’ the difference is tie, is singular, whereas ties (more than one denotes plural).
Boy no wonder you support Roosevelt and Melisa, I don’t think you went to DGS period!
You even compounded Melisa’s stupidity, because you have made it abundantly clear that she is giving strings to her supporters to build houses.
Are you certain that you are not psychologically imbalanced, and that is why your daughter might have studied psychiatry, in order to try and save you from yourself!
Your behavior is as one in the state of 5150; and just in case she don’t know that’s a psychiatric diagnoses of a crazy person who is a danger to themselves and others.
Are you 5150 ds?
Throwing some rice in de fowl house eh……noticing she want man!!!
There should have been a building code already to ensure that houses are constructed with the steel rafter supports etc. All houses should be inspected by the authorities at the local level to make them up to code. The peak of hurricane season is only a few months away.
Great point that! But this is Dominica under the stewardship of someone who is not too bright and additionally uncaring.
In this first climate resilient country in the world, one would think that strict adherence to the building code would be enforced.
This is a last minute administration in order to deceive. On the eve of an election the country is awash with activities. On the start of the hurricane season nails and cords are given to the people to secure their roofs.
Roosevelt, Melissa and their handpicked dummies take the people of Dominica as ignorant fools whose minds they are convinced can be easily manipulated.
Dominicans wake up!
Occasionally, this lady who is the most unqualified member of any government in the Caribbean, comes with school uniforms, shoes, Christmas ham & turkey, now hurricane ties and nails and think these will suffice.
Many in her constituency are jobless, their utilities are being disconnected. Plenty are living from hand to mouth, malnourished, can’t afford two meals per day.
Has this functionally illiterate, high maintenance lady ever traveled abroad to represent Dominica in a high level meeting?
Only in Dominica can a person with only a birth certificate can become a member of parliament in this age of enlightenment.
The only things Melissa brings to parliament are her clothes, jewelry, lipstick, high-heel shoes but no brain.
Mannequins have no brain you dress them up for shows.
At least she brought something. What did you bring but your bag of criticisms as usual.