Government launches new, island-wide Housing Recovery Project (HRP)

 

Building Resilience in the Housing Sector 

As September 18, 2019 approaches, the world recalls the devastating images of Dominica, two years ago, that affected 90% of the housing sector, leaving more than 4,500 houses destroyed and over 20,000 partially damaged.  Small Island economies like Dominica are becoming more vulnerable, given the increased severity of natural events such as category 5 hurricanes, intense rainfall channeled by global climate change, and seismic risks.

Every 2 years, since 2011, natural disasters have been severely impacting Dominica, resulting in significant loss to the country, including major adverse effect on our housing stock.

The Housing Recovery Project (HRP) is a new, island wide project designed to provide support for the reconstruction of 1,700 completely destroyed small houses owned by the most vulnerable.  Importantly this project will Build Resilience in the Housing Sector across Dominica. This initiative will build on the efforts by the Government, and the humanitarian agencies in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, offering housing support to citizens.

The Project was highlighted in the Budget Address by the Honourable Prime Minster, as one of the many housing initiatives of the Government under the National Housing Repair & Reconstruction Programme. The Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica together with the World Bank is officially launching the HRP.

The government has secured financing from the International Development Association (IDA) credit and a Crisis Response Window Grant for the Housing Recovery Project (HRP).

Successful applicants, (those who meet all required eligibility criteria) will be provided with financial, technical and administrative assistance through the HRP-Project Implementation Unit, under the Ministry of Housing and Lands.  Financial support will be provided in the form of a grant to the homeowner, with payment releases at key construction stages.  This grant, along with extensive technical assistance in design and construction supervision, will enable successful applicants to reconstruct a new core house, to resist the effects of intense weather events and earthquakes.  The Project will ensure that houses will be constructed in accordance with internationally recognised resilient best practices, the revised building codes and vital safeguards to address environmental, social, health and safety risks.  This initiative forms part of the Government’s drive for Dominica to become the world’s first Climate Resilient Nation.

Interested persons are encouraged to apply through the HRP Social Engagement team, who will soon be located in communities across the Island to assist in completing the application.  Applications will be screened through a management information system and site assessments.  A timely submission of applications is recommended.  For further details on the eligibility criteria and the application process, please contact 767-617-6521/767-245-1250/767-245-1250, or visit your nearest council office.

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16 Comments

  1. I not red
    September 14, 2019

    This is just another ploy to buy votes. Hurricane Maria blew off half of my roof. I lost my door, windows broken. Everything in my house was damaged. On two occasions groups came from the Ministry of Housing and from Social Services to “assess” the damage. I never got anything up to today! Nothing! Two years later you want me to apply? Apply for what? Man, y’all can kiss my ***. You think I didn’t see my neighbour materials reach in the dead of night?

  2. Original
    September 14, 2019

    Skerrit as an unqualified finance minister, has proven over the years that he is not capable of managing the economy as observed from the deplorable state of oor economy after 15 years of his management tactics. Now he makes himself housing minister, another portfolio for which he is not qualified to manage, so like the economy it’s expected to perform just as bad! This man should just resign.

  3. Possie Direct
    September 12, 2019

    DNO a better headline would be GOVERNMENT TAKES MORE STEPS TO HIDE MONEY.
    Skerrit and his housing announcement is nothing more than hidin money and play the hide and seek game with us. So you mean the man going to hide money island wide? I not even going to look for his money because I will not partake in anything the diab giving

  4. Dee
    September 12, 2019

    Engineer
    I notice you want to be real .I definitely want to assure you of a reality .
    As a long standing Labour supporter I am now of the opinion that this whole Government , all the Ministers and especially the Prime Minister should vacate the Government of Dominica Offices . In all of my 50+ years I have never known Dominicans so divided , not only in Dominica but also Dominicans living away .Discussions now turn into arguments then become personal . Friends become enemies , families are broken , mothers not talking to children , neighbours at loggerheads , all because they are of, and voice different opinions .It was never like that before, what have we come to ?
    Those who appear to have received or, are trying to obtain benefits from this Government will stand steadfastly to all what is going on ,whether right or wrong. Only materialistic benefits seem important these days . The Government needs to change . Money making too many Dominicans sing these days . No more moral…

  5. BIG steve
    September 12, 2019

    Whyalallowing Skerrit to deceive like that? Can you all not see that housing program of Skerrit is just his way of hiding monies he cannot accont for? I am from Vieille case and I can honestly say that there is NO ONE from Vieille case. Penville, Thibaud, paid bouche, Dose Dane, Bourne, Anse de Mai and Calibibishi, that is left homeless because of Maria. So that Island wide housing Skerrit is talking about is FAKE! What I see as an island wide problem that needs attention is that of NATIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT. Our people are not working and it isad to see so many of our young people turn to drugs, alcohol, begging, all manner of sexual immortality, stealing and violence to cope with unemployment. Does that not disturb Skerrit? Why is he so interested in housing? Or could it be that Skerrit is building houses so that in the next 5 to 10 yrs he could pass them over to his Chinese as part of his secret agreement with them which none of his ministers knows about? He is on a missio

  6. Roger Burnett
    September 12, 2019

    This is the type of initiative that should have been taken years ago, rather than the foreign concept of apartment blocks and housing estates.

  7. RandyX
    September 12, 2019

    Here we go, more election propaganda and lies. If it was to come to fruition the benefactors would be those that pledge their vote to Skerrit. Isn’t it strange that all these program and give aways always come about just before elections…!

  8. Alibaba & The Forty Thieves
    September 12, 2019

    So is housing the biggest need in Dominica at this time or employment? Why all of a sudden Skerrit placing so much emphasis on building house for people instead of putting the people to work? Is it because it is much easier to hide unaccounted monies under a house or what? Man to the best om my knowledge houses IS NOT our greatest need on island and therefore Skerrit should stop hiding and dumping money under housing instead of creating employment for our young people in particular

    • A. George
      September 13, 2019

      how many years would one have to work to be able to build a house? some people had insurance and it is still not enough to help them rebuild. Yes employment is important but considering our current vulnerability to storms I think this is a good initiative. It just has to be managed well.

      • viewsexpressed
        September 15, 2019

        “Yes employment is important but considering our current vulnerability to storms I think this is a good initiative. It just has to be managed well.”
        A. George, it will not and has not been well managed. It is that this failed Skerrit knows of the need of secured housing for our people. Outside of this hurricane, the biggest and most dangerous hurricane we have seen in Dominica is during this failed m corrupted 19 years of Skerrit’s failed incompetent leadership and his worthless, failed Labour government. all of a sudden these clowns wish to give handouts. That is all they are good for, to buy and appease our poor vulnerable people and families. Now the end for failed Skerrit is close by they re panicking and reaping off money from all sources to make them feel nice. Well, my people immature Skerrit and his failed corrupt Labour government has failed us and hey must Go.
        We welcome Hon Lennox Linton and his highly professional UWP Team. Great Team. Exceptionally Decent,…

  9. Ibo France
    September 12, 2019

    Look out for partisan politics to raise it’s ugly head as with the distribution of cheques to non farmers. Another political stunt on the eleventh hour of a pending general election. Note well that many of these initiatives could have been started or done prior to this time. This is an all out effort to mislead the electorate. The current administration has no vision so everything is done on the spur of the moment, haphazardly. All that CBI money that has gone into the long pockets of foreigners could have been used to repair most of the houses of victims of Maria. Everything that is done by this nakedly corrupt government is for political advantageousness. Dominicans deserve a government that will work for the people everyday after a general election and not only just a few before as an act of enticement. Dominica has the potential to be the bread basket of the sub Caribbean but first the people have to rid their parliament of those crooks and invalids on the government benches.

    • Engineer
      September 12, 2019

      Yes be real IBO. If you are employed, for the amount of time you (IBO) spend responding to postings on DNO, you are one thing. You are stealing your employer’s time. Would that describe you as dishonest? Thats up to you to figure out. All through our lives, we are notoriously good at casting stones at another. What we fail to do, is to look at ourselves from the inside. We make ourselves look foolish over politicians. Stop wasting your my brother. Time is to valuable. If you are in Dominica, and you are not employed. There plenty of construction work on island. Just get certified.

      • Red Dragon
        September 12, 2019

        Gason you that engineer must be one of those foreign contractors or passport sellers of Skerrit that knows nothing about Dominica except to make money. You engineer and you too have so much time to read blogs and postings from IBO? You sold out yourself you hypocrite lol

      • Ibo France
        September 12, 2019

        You are making wild assumptions about me. I have never wasted one second on a job. I grew up in a household where work ethic was paramount. The temporary construction work is not my thing, I’m not qualified in that field. Every honest Dominican should enlighten the public as to the bad, awful, corrupt and unscrupulous politicians presently suffocating the progress of people. Too many Dominicans can barely afford one meal per day. Too many suffer from flatulence. Too many have had their water and electricity disconnected. Too many live in squalor. Corruption in government is preventing public servants from getting a livable wage. It’s time for people like you to take off your rose colored glasses and get a grip of reality. I have not even a scintilla of respect for hypocrites and parasites like you who see evil and call it blessings. Where are the good paying SUSTAINABLE JOBS? When election is over all the temporary construction jobs will disappear. Stop acting moronic.

      • viewsexpressed
        September 15, 2019

        If you are this Engineer yo say you are, well, I would not recruit you nor recommend you to do anything for me and for my ailing Island Domininca. Yo are in the right company, no wonder you talk and your thoughts are real disgusting and rubbish. You hang about Skerrit some ore and you will be reduced to this illiterate engineer that yo may be. May of us has abandoned Skerrit, because he is a failed odd leader and has bot bogger concept, not socio-economic development plans for ou country. As tis Civil servant up there at government building , its stuuppes, crossing of eyes, moving away and abandoned Skerrit as this Failed Odd Minister, who had reduced our people to begging and poverty, Shame, damn shame indeed. We had enough of the Bin Bobol, Fertilizer Bobol and the lies that went with it., the Red Clinic Bobol, he shame and disrespect of our poor people. UWP, Yes
        Skerrit must Go. We welcome Hon Lennox Linton and his highly professional UWP Team. We have to take back our Dominican.

      • RandyX
        September 17, 2019

        Egineer, you and your ilk don’t display any morals when it comes to corruption, lying and misappropriation of state funds etc. but you dare to give somebody a lecture on working times and how to use such?? I always said it, there is nothing more hypocritical than a Skerrit supporter…

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