{"id":319261,"date":"2024-03-20T10:59:29","date_gmt":"2024-03-20T14:59:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/?p=319261"},"modified":"2024-03-20T10:59:29","modified_gmt":"2024-03-20T14:59:29","slug":"government-hands-over-42-new-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/governance\/government-hands-over-42-new-homes\/","title":{"rendered":"Government hands over 42 new homes"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Beneficiaries of program<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The beneficiaries received their keys during a handing-over ceremony held at the State House Conference Centre on Monday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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,\u201d Housing Minister Melissa Poponne-Skerrit said while addressing the ceremony.<\/p>\n

She continued, \u201cAs 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is “[important] to note approximately 90 other homes are currently under construction and several are under mobilization or bidding stage,\u201d she revealed.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said his government appreciates what housing means to people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is why after Hurricane David Dominicans never got help from the government to build homes\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Skerrit added, \u201cPeople had to go into the forests and cut the logs that fell and galvanize that flew from somebody\u2019s roof and knock them together, cut drums and flattened them and build homes, but we changed that as a government.\u201d<\/p>\n

He told the beneficiaries that this would be a sense of eternal pride and excitement.<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d Skerrit stated.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe project is a testament of the government’s commitment to achieving Dominica\u2019s 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,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

Dr. Joseph said the HRP affirms its commitment to the sustainable development goals, \u201cto ensure that we reduce inequalities in our nation and we achieve sustainable cities and communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile,\u00a0S<\/em>enior 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.<\/p>\n

He said further that the investment in the housing sector resilience is very important.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we have seen the Government of Dominica is making a concerted effort to advance this agenda on many fronts,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have seen efforts to build houses in safe locations, that is the most important thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kahandawa also explained that efforts are currently being made to strengthen houses that are vulnerable before possible disaster.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere 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\u2026,\u201d he explained. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n