By GIS, Dominica
ROSEAU, Dominica – Over 40 new houses will be built in the upcoming months for residents of the Salybia constituency. The recipients were all affected by the passage of hurricane Maria as their homes were all destroyed. These new homes are being constructed with resilience at the forefront and will be able to withstand hurricane-force winds and seismic activity, GIS reported.
Member of parliament for the Salybia Constituency, Cozier Frederick stated that over the next few months the housing stock will rise in the constituency.
“We are in the process of completing one of the HRP projects. It is in the Sineku areas and as you can see foundation works have been done and the workers are now laying the blocks. Throughout the community, we will, over the next few months, have more than 40 of those built and there are two or three already been completed; so we are seeing the evolution of the housing product within that space,” Frederick stated.
The housing projects across the Kalinago Territory have created more opportunities for constituents apart from an improved standard of living, as all workers currently employed on this project as from the constituency.
Frederick noted that he is pleased to be part of a government that is providing housing and employment for the Salybia constituents.
“Right now, 100 percent of the workers are from the Salybia constituency. And so I am excited about this because in the past, we had some outside contractors, but we are now seeing the engagement of local contractors with different skillsets from plumbers, electricians, bricklayers and carpenters among others. So as we go throughout the Kalinago Territory and the constituency by extension, we will see the constituents being employed. So there is a sort of a housing boom as we speak within the constituency and I am excited to be the parliamentary representative and to help continue that movement to ensure that the people have a comfortable and resilient space to reside,” the members of parliament said.
Each two-bedroom unit under the housing recovery project will cost within the range of EC$100,000 to EC$125,000.
“We’re speaking about a two-bedroom house with a washroom and kitchen facilities and built to standard so we see a comfortable home. And so we are able to provide as a government that unit to a family so that we ensure that people are in a comfortable home with all of the trappings of a modern household,” Frederick added.
Home recipient, Romain Valmond has expressed gratitude to those who have partnered in making this a reality, stating: “God bless all those who have helped me build my house. I thank all of them because I couldn’t do it by myself.”
The government of Dominica continues to fulfil its commitments to the people of Dominica. The construction of these homes are part of the government’s efforts towards making Dominica the world’s first climate-resilient nation in the world.
