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Hurricane home repairs to start from January with 30+ signed

Health & Social Development Minister Carvin Malone

Government has revealed plans to commence repair works to more than 30 hurricane-damaged houses across the territory as early as next month.

Social Development Minister, Carvin Malone made this announcement in a recent session in the House of Assembly. 

Malone approximated the number of homes that were already signed for the repairs and revealed that more households are set to be added to the list in short order.

“We have signed over 30 for the home repair programme that we are going to bring out come January, some of them are going to start very early January, some in February,” the minister said.

He added: “We started out the programme requiring up to $45 million. We got some, we made use of it, and we stretched it as best as we could. We have others we signed and we’re going to be signing others as we go.”

More requests than available funds

Minister Malone further said the incoming requests to have homes repaired have been outweighing the available finances.

This has resulted in the government developing other criteria to ensure that persons who need assistance are prioritised.

“There are more requests than there is money so there were criteria that had to be set. And though difficult, the fact is that there are certain criteria that I as minister cannot violate. They must meet the actual specific criteria,” he explained.

“So we ask those persons who have been damaged as a result of the hurricane and some of the persons when the pandemic hit, it really dealt a crippling blow because whatever monies there were beginning to amass they actually suffered as a result of it,” Malone further said.

In August 2019, Malone revealed that issues surrounding insufficient funds and lack of land ownership were the main reasons why some persons within the territory were still living in domes almost two years following the 2017 hurricanes.

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13 Comments

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  1. Coca cola says:

    It took the VIP two years to begin to address this problem but the same VIP and their bandits messed with people’s minds and made them think that the NDP should have fixed everything that happened from Irma in three months. If we don’t realize by now that the VIP dooped this country then we will make the same mistake again. I call them imposters in badly looking suits.

    Like 20
    Dislike 3
  2. Reality Check says:

    I hope the business assistance funds, promised in a letter now four months ago, are paid before the Government spends more money than it has.

  3. SMI says:

    Where is this Government getting all this money from?

    Like 15
    • Deh Watcha says:

      All that unqualified for stimulus money from Social Security

    • Doh says:

      Well….

      The third pillar, drugs and smuggling, was supplying much needed funds to the treasury before that massive bust interrupted things. That put a major dent in revenue…

      So fines and fees against tourists is $70k from boaters, high fines from Covid violators, fees for tests and bracelets. It’s trickling in slowly.

      But carry on

  4. Belonger says:

    And may I ask where are you going to get all that money from????

    Oh wait my bad ayo depending on the marijuana money!!! The same ganja ayo charging and jailing the poor ppl for,,,,

    Oh crap sorry for the expats poor ppl already paying social security, NHI, tax plus $50 to drop in there permit to renew not forgetting permit price went up except ppl salary. now you need certificate from social security, NHI and revenue to renew permit.

    So expats ayo prepare to start work like slave to build the locals house that was destroy by the hurricane

    It is unfair this government just dreaming big and ripping the poor expats there little money that the can hardly survive with

    Most of those expats came here to work to assist there families back home but with this government I lost words

    Why the hell y’all didn’t encourage those home owners to ensure there house for emergency

    Ayo want to look good in y’all country and not realizing ayo looking bad to the entire world

    I know some of you idiots might want to call me all kind of name but I don’t care

    A day will come when ayo will realize is not only the expats will suffer but you ppl too and it’s all because of ayo stupid government

    Like 10
    Dislike 2
  5. Insurance says:

    So why didn’t these people have insurance??

    Like 4
    Dislike 1
    • @Insurance says:

      Thank you very much. These people took a risk to not insure their homes and the country should not be footing the bill to repair especially in these difficult times.

      Like 4
      Dislike 1
  6. Focus on the present need says:

    The people need water all over this Island the people can’t get water running in their houses no matter how much rain fall,,, People in Sea cow’s Bay and Mac Namara been suffering, complaining,, Stop playing politics with survival needs,, Fix the steps first then you get to the houses,, Give The people water, that’s the first step,,

  7. Hmm says:

    My apt. was severly damaged and we lost everything in it, a stranger had to rescue us for 2 weeks. Will you repair it for us?? The landlord is not repairing it and we are living in a match stick box space as our apartment now.

  8. Belonger says:

    Y’all repairing houses that was destroyed by hurricane.

    What about tenants that’s was living in those buildings that loss every thing????

    Will the government compensate those ppl

    And the landlords still keep ppl deposit

    It is very unfair what this government is doing.

    The are selfish the are only looking how to benefit them own friends

    Like 4
    Dislike 1

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