Gardener receives first pre-fab house from Government

The government, through the Housing and Land Development Corporation (HLDC) has handed over its first pre-fabricated house to a resident of Dauphine as it explores the possibility of providing pre-fab homes for sale to the Vincentian public.

Such structures would be provided for persons whose homes were destroyed by natural disasters such as the volcanic eruptions and Hurricane Elsa in 2021, and Hurricane Beryl in 2024.

Patel Gibson was the first recipient of one such pre-fab house which was handed over to him on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Gibson’s home was destroyed by Hurricane Elsa.

Speaking at the hand over ceremony, General Manager of the HLDC, Kenyatta Alleyne, said Gibson’s home was the first one erected, and while there was a delay, the local contractor did a good job in erecting the one-bedroom dwelling which was manufactured by DuraVilla Homes in Guyana.

Providing technical insight into the construction and quality of the home, Alleyne said it was built with Green heart and Purple heart wood. The house comes with a tiled floor, hurricane clips, and a roof pitched to meet planning recommendations for storm resistance. It is also outfitted with kitchen cupboards and a kitchen sink, a bathroom sink and toilet.

“The cost is comparable to what a block and concrete house would be, except in this case, of course, the finishes; as you notice you’re on a tiled floor,” Alleyne noted.

“ He already has kitchen sinks and cupboards -just to show the quality of what he has received…if you take a look at the roof, it includes hurricane clips…it should be a house that can withstand … virtually all storms that should impact us.

“The house is also situated in a bit of a sheltered area, so we have that as a plus as well…we continue to facilitate applicants,” Alleyne added.

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