Displaced families adjusting well to new homes at Orange Hill

Families from the volcanic red zone who were displaced by the April 2021 volcanic eruptions are continuing to settle into their brand new homes at Orange Hill.

Last Thursday, September 1, the families from villages in North Windward were handed keys to their houses at a ceremony at the new housing settlement at Orange Hill.

Thousands of people from the volcanic hazard zones in the north of the main island of St Vincent were hastily evacuated mere hours before La Soufriere began erupting explosively in April, 2021.

Having spent months in shelters before the all clear was given for them to return home, many had nowhere to go due to the extent of the damage to their houses; and also because some of those homes were located in vulnerable areas.

So, there was a huge sigh of relief when keys to free houses were presented during the ceremony at Orange Hill to the 27 families.

Prime minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves delivering the feature address thanked the Sri Sathya Sai Baba Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago for the role it played in making the houses a reality.

He said a total of one thousand three hundred houses were damaged by the volcano and need to be repaired or rebuilt.

And that the government needs to build an estimated 150 new homes for persons who were adversely affected by the eruptions.

Gonsalves said that the 150 houses were promised by the government of Venezuela.

At present, this country’s government is effecting repairs to houses in the red zone that were significantly damaged during the eruptions.

Gonsalves also said the government is finalizing arrangements to purchase the property in Sandy Bay which is owned by deputy prime minister, Montgomery Daniel.

This will be used in part to build houses for more of families who were displaced.

The prime minister said further that he wants to turn Daniel’s house “into something else.”

Part of the land will be used for a cemetery, while other lots will be used for housing.

The new houses at Orange Hill each cost an estimated EC$ 60,000, with infrastructure and other fittings taking the cost of the two bedroom houses to about EC$100,000 each and the three bedroom houses to around EC$130,000.

“After every storm and Soufriere, we build houses for poor people,”Gonsalves declared.

The prime minister pointed out that he had taken “a conscious decision to devote my life to you and for you.”