Relocation for December flood victims one step closer

Home construction work has started as the country moves into the relocation phase of the recovery from last December’s devastating floods.{{more}}

Close to 20 houses are to be built in South and North Leeward communities, during the first phase of the relocation exercise.

And, during his visit to the North Leeward area last Saturday, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves made a stop in Fitz-Hughes, at the site where construction has already begun on six of the eight houses to be built there.

The Prime Minister pointed out that six of the houses to be built on the site would be for persons directly affected by the floods, either because of the loss of a home, or because the residents had to be moved from an area that is not suitable for habitation.

The seventh house, he said, was allocated to an individual affected by a previous storm, while the eighth was earmarked for gunshot victim Sweet-I Robertson.

“This is the first set of construction… I am glad that we have started here. They are going to be two bedroom houses with a kitchen, a bathroom and dining and living room. A basic two-bedroom house; but the way the lots are, somebody would be able to add on a room or two.

“What we are doing is to basically replace what persons had and to improve on what they have,” the Prime Minister said.

“I told them they had to build for Sweet-I, because Sweet-I is a special case,” he added.

While there, he explained that 10 homes are to be constructed in the Cumberland area, for persons who were affected by the floods in Dark View and Spring Village.

He also noted that also in Cumberland, a house is to be constructed for a young lady from Rose Bank, who suffers with a rare skin disease. Her ailment was made worse by the flood waters.

Two homes would also be constructed in Clare Valley, for surviving members of the Nanton family, who lost five relatives during the disaster, when a landslide brought down one of the homes on top of another.

“Houses are going to be built for the Nantons at Clare Valley. They have been taken there already to identify the site. Because of their loss, there is a certain trauma and they would like to go out of Rose Bank,” Gonsalves said.

Construction on the island’s windward side is expected to commence soon, the Prime Minister said, with homes to be built in Mount Bentinck, and South Rivers.

“They will do maybe 10 to 12 houses in Mount Bentinck, but the survey has not been completed in Mount Bentinck; they wanted to start on Monday.

“In the case of South Rivers, we have purchased some lands; we have 16 lots there which were being earmarked for other people, but we have to give eight people – seven persons from this current storm and one from an incident before. But, at South Rivers, the way the land is located, they will have to build a wall and then (in) the other area they have to take the heavy-duty equipment to flatten part of it.”

The Prime Minister also disclosed that materials are being distributed on an ongoing basis, to persons who had suffered level one and two (or relatively minor) damage to their homes.

He also pointed out that the new homeowners are not required to pay any monies for their homes.

The houses are being constructed by the Housing and Land Development Corporation, in conjunction with the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The relocation of persons affected by the December floods is one of “the six R’s” outlined by Gonsalves as his government’s focus.

The others are Relief, Reconstruction, Rivers, Roads (including bridges), and Reforestation.