REPAIR EFFORTS UNDER WAY

WITH clean-up and repair efforts being carried out at every level of civil society across Barbados, government tenants are also in line to have their homes dealt with in the aftermath of Hurricane Elsa.

Speaking to members of the media as roof work was being carried out in the background at Rosemont in Deacons, Minister of Housing, Lands and Maintenance, Dr. William Duguid, explained his ministry’s plans for National Housing Corporation (NHC) properties in the wake of the system.

Revealing that they had started with 14 blocks in Fernihurst on Sunday, Dr. Duguid said that teams were out and about doing assessments in various areas across the island. With reports of damaged roofs coming in for what he called an unusual amount of units, he acknowledged that his ministry had their work cut out for them.

“We are trying to get as many of the repairs done as possible. What has been reported to me is that from the National Housing Corporation’s point of view, over 250 units had various issues with respect to leaks on their roofs. So we’re trying to work down as many of those as possible to get those units back as water-resistant as best as we can,” he said.

As it related to houses, Dr. Duguid revealed that there were 95 houses that needed to be rebuilt and that all other issues would be handled based on immediate need.

“Right from here, I am heading straight to a meeting for the storm response committee and we are looking first at 95 houses that need to be rebuilt. Once we get those 95 houses started, then we’ll start looking at those people that need materials only, those that are major repairs and those that are minor repairs.

So we’re out here on the ground from today trying to get as much work done as we can to be able to assess and also to start the works – clearing sites where necessary, getting contractors assigned where necessary, so we can get as much of the work done and house people as quickly as possible and be able to respond to this unfortunate situation of the hurricane that has just passed.”

With the highest number of demolished properties concentrated in the eastern parishes of the island, while Christ Church and St. Michael had the greater number of reports by sheer numbers due to population density, General Manager of the National Housing Corporation, Ian Gill, chimed in to let affected persons know that there was a way to speed up their process if they only needed materials.

“For those people who are materials only and there are capable persons in your community who can do the quantification of those materials, get the person to do those materials [and] send them to the National Housing Corporation. I will send out officers just to quantify that the amount is correct and once that is done, we will get that material to you within 24 to 48 hours,” Gill said. (MP)