Housing Minister: All can’t be steel

Government cannot afford to replace all the homes damaged during Hurricane Elsa in 2021 with steel houses, says Minister of Housing Dwight Sutherland.

“We [originally] brought in 150 lightgauge steel units courtesy of Chinese company East West (Barbados) in partnership with the National Housing Corporation (NHC) to satisfy those victims affected by Hurricane Elsa [and the building of] those 150 units are going along smartly.

“Recognise that the value is higher than what we can utilise for Hurricane Elsa, so you have to be fair to Government as we are fair to the citizens of this country.

“We agreed to replace 1 709 displaced families to the tune of $124 million by three agencies – UDC (Urban Development Commission), RDC (Rural Development Commission) and NHC – with the majority being done by NHC, but the value of those light gauge steel units is higher than the wooden houses [they would be replacing].

“We can’t be giving you a [steel] house at a time like this when the structures which have been damaged are wooden structures,” he said.

Instead, Sutherland said the majority of the repairs would be done with hardwood, which he said would provide a better home. He said they were setting records with the speed of the work.

“It takes countries five years, ten years and more to recover from the effects of a hurricane, but I say to you this Government will create history by finishing these repairs of the homes of 1 709 families in less than three years. Thus far, we have done over 80 per cent with our repairs and rebuilds,” he said.

Out of the 1 709, about 250 families received materials to carry out their own repairs.

The Weekend Nation visited some of the areas where displaced people were staying after Elsa, such as Codrington College, St John; the Barbados Workers’ Union Labour College, St Philip; the Foursquare Church of the Nazarene, Woodbourne, St Philip and the Sons of God Apostolic Church, Christ Church.

A check revealed that no one was staying at either the Labour College or Codrington College. The team was unable to visit the Apostolic Church. At the housing area behind the Nazarene Church, there was one last resident, 76-yearold Roddy Brathwaite.

“I was at Codrington, then the Labour College and I moved here in June,” he said. “Honestly, I wish I was in my own house all now. I would be so happy to know I would be back in the area I was born and raised.”

Brathwaite said he once lived at Harlington, St Philip. He said he was told to first identify a spot of land and then Government would build him a house.

“I found another spot in Harlington – thanks to a good friend. The only hold-up now is that the land tax bill hasn’t been sent yet, maybe this week. Nothing has started yet and I don’t know when it will start but once the land tax bill comes, then we would be one step closer,” he said. ( CA)

Roddy Brathwaite is the only Hurricane Elsa victim remaining on the land belonging to the Foursquare Church of the Nazarene in St Philip. He hopes to

move back to Harlington, St Philip, soon. (Picture by Shanice King.)