Herculean effort needed for post-Beryl housing restoration says Housing Minister

Minister of Housing, Orando Brewster said that a Herculean effort is needed to rebuild and repair homes in St Vincent and the Grenadines, in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl which devastated the Southern Grenadines on July, 1, 2024.

The minister made the statement in Parliament, while contributing t debate on the Supplementary Estimates Bill which was laid in the House of Assembley by Finance Minister Camillo Gonsalves, on Thursday, August 7, 2025.

The government was seeking approval from parliament to obtain an additional $98.6 million from the Consolidated Fund to complete ongoing works and projects in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Of this total, $41.7 million is for the construction/repair of houses that were damaged by Hurricane Beryl.

Minister Brewster pointed out that at present, there are 670 projects which are ongoing across St Vincent and the Grenadines.

He said so far, 5,898 houses have been assessed, and already over four thousand households have received assistance.

“We must come to this House and we must be very open,” the Minister stated.

While the assessment is still ongoing, Minister Brewster expressed gratitude to the staff in the Ministry of Housing “for spending sleepless nights to help in the recovery and rebuilding effort”.

Hurricane Beryl, which struck St Vincent and the Grenadines as a category 4 hurricane last year, has caused catastrophic damage to housing and infrastructure, particularly in the Southern Grenadines.