Opposition senator Shevern John has expressed concern over the delay in completing and handing over of 27 houses constructed at Orange Hill for persons who have been displaced as a result of the eruption of La Soufriere Volcano last year.
Speaking on the New Democratic Party’s New Times radio programme on NICE Radio on Thursday, John, the party’s candidate for North Windward, said the pre-fab houses were brought in hurriedly and it was expected that they would be completed and handed over to residents in time for their return from shelters. She said that she asked about the housing situation at a recent sitting of parliament.
Minister of Housing Orande Brewster, in response to a question on the pre-fab houses posed by senator John during the sitting of parliament on May 5th, 2022, stated: “The government is also constructing 27 homes at Orange Hill to accommodate persons whose properties are listed for relocation and deemed unsuitable for living. And this was done in collaboration with the Physical Planning Board.
“Work on these homes are 95 percent completed, with just the infrastructural work of roads and drains to be done by BRAGSA. Additionally, to the 27 homes, the government is working with the Mustique Company to construct another 41 homes for persons who are to be relocated.
Brewster said “work will commence on these homes shortly as the funding has been approved.”
Senator John said that prior to that update by Brewster, Deputy Prime Minister and North Windward MP Montgomery Daniel had stated that those homes were to be handed over to persons at the end of March.
Speaking on NBC Radio in February, Daniel, who is minister of Transport, Works, Lands and Physical Planning said that cabinet had given approval for the Ministry of Social Development to continue to
take care of the evacuees’ rental bills beyond the month of February “because there are going to be still some persons in the shelters even after the end of March” as “all of the housing repairs have not been completed.”
“The expectation is that at the end of March that the 27 houses that are now being built, that they will be occupied then and that the 24 units that are being made available that they too will be occupied,” Daniel said.
Senator John said that this is now the month of June and it is of concern that almost nine months have passed since the government initially proposed, October 2021, that the houses would be handed over to the people.
“So, something along the line, the inconsistency in answers show us that something is not right, you know. People are not checking up on what is going on in their constituencies or their ministries. They’re not doing their job,” she said.
Senator John said that as a resident of North Windward, she passes the housing site at Orange Hill regularly and in her estimation, the houses are “far from finished” and the sea blast had started to “impact” the houses.
“They should invite the media to go there and see what is happening, without painting them or anything. Just invite the media,” senator John said. “The roadway is not being done as yet. So, you know you have to put in proper infrastructure for the people to get there and live comfortable because the place is very dusty. We know we are contending with ash in this area, and it would be for a very long time.
“So, the urgency, it’s over eight months, nine months since those houses were erected there, they were put down by the Trinidad organization and they have not been handed over,” senator John said.
The pre-fabricated homes are a gift from the Sri Sathya Sai Baba Organization of Trinidad and Tobago. They were erected between August and September last year by a group of volunteers from that organization following the devastating impact of the explosive eruptions of La Soufriere Volcano which began in April, last year.
Sathya Sai International Organisation is a spiritual and humanitarian organisation carrying out the mission of love, selfless service and self-transformation inspired by Sathya Sai Baba.
The houses are said to be fire-proof and are very resistant to hurricane force winds. They are said to have been given an extra coat to reduce the impact on seas blast.
It is understood that a portion of land is being surveyed in the area for the construction of another 41 houses for persons in the north of the country who have been displaced.
