BVI News

Skelton Cline against temporary housing being built 2 years after hurricanes, criticises RDA

Claude Skelton-Cline

Government consultant and local radio talk-show-host Claude Skelton Cline is criticising the Recovery & Development Agency for continuing to issue contracts for the construction of temporary housing, now more than two years after hurricanes Irma and Maria.

He made the comments during a recent airing of his show, Honestly Speaking, where he said he had an issue with the RDA’s contracts “to build some igloos”.

“I am in favour and I celebrate and applaud local contractors being the recipients of contracts and their businesses growing and persons are working. What I am challenged by is that here we are more than two years now outside of the hurricanes of 2017 and the rains of August of the same year, and for the life of me I can’t understand why are we still building temporary housing of this nature,” Cline stated.

He further said he believes that at this period in time, more permanent and sustainable projects should be undertaken by the RDA as opposed to issuing contracts to build “temporary domes”.

“My critique and my challenge: why we are not further along in doing more meaningful and substantive things other than assembling these igloos, as I call them … then you have to build a bathroom, then you have to run electricity to the place and we call it temporary housing.”

Temporary housing changing character of BVI

Cline, whose company was awarded a six-month contract to be a consultant to the VIP Administration in April 2019, said he understands that there are some persons in need of the housing. But due to so many now assembled across the territory, he said it’s beginning to change the dynamic of the BVI’s building infrastructure.

“Even these things (temporary houses) being in Anegada or Jost Van Dyke, I see some in West End. It begins to change the character of this country in terms of building and I am dumbfounded by some of this stuff and I find it unacceptable,” Skeleton Cline added.

He said the continuation of temporary housing projects in the territory should be revisited.

He further argued that things which are supposed to be temporary have a way of becoming permanent.

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18 Comments

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  1. Hmmmm says:

    Keep running your mouth; until you get on the wrong side of this government. We are just waiting for the big fall out.

    Like 27
    Dislike 3
  2. vip heckler says:

    When his consultant contract gonna expire? I am looking/waiting to see if months gonna turn into years

    Like 26
    Dislike 1
  3. vip heckler says:

    9 months ago this guy got a 6 months contract and it ain’t expired yet. WELL SAH!

    Like 26
  4. Sucking says:

    Another blow hard Belonger sucking off the government spouting his mouth and trying to be relevant. He’s just angry he’s not getting more. He’s a government consultant? What advice does he provide? How to wipe your a**e with less toilet paper? The government can get better and more substantial advice from a goat walking along the roadside.

    Like 33
    Dislike 1
  5. ning ghost says:

    Herr FraudKline – It is YOUR VIP gubberment that is dictating to the RDA what is done and what is not! So go BRUSH yuh dentures ma boi! It is as if you have convenient amnesia or some form of earl Alzheimer, because you always forget that you as a so-called ‘adviser’ seems to never know what the deal is.
    If the Min. of Healtch (Carvin) did not want these he would have blocked/stopped it and made a u-turn.

    Why don’t you donate your ‘advise’ pro-bono and the salary could go towards the truly needy whom need a roof over their heads. Dare you to respond to that Mr. Mouth of the Northshore!

    Like 24
    Dislike 2
  6. He also says:

    The moocher also said he can clean up Cane Garden Bay beach for 1 million.

  7. Mr. Hodge says:

    “Changing the character of the BVI”? Have you seen where some people in our beloved B.WE.I are PAYING rent to live in? Have you seen properties (I use that term very loosely) in Purcell behind one mart or Long Bush? C’mon bro. Give it a rest. Think outside “your box”. View as a compound with multiple tiers and each unit has a different use… bedrooms, living, kitchen, etc.

  8. Carrot in deh peasoup says:

    You were right about that though

  9. E, Leonard says:

    Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the territory in September 2017, causing significant damages (~$3.6B), changing circumstances and changing lives. Undoubtedly, the rebuilding effort should be sustainable, resilient and permanent construction effort. On the other hand, some residents are still trying to recover from the hurricane destruction and needs a helping hand. This temporary housing need must be balanced against the long-term sustainable and resilient effort.

    Moreover, dome construction can reduce building damages. The physical geometry impacts the aerodynamics properties of a facility and how effective it can resist the force of a storm. Dome roofs have low drag and resist higher wind forces than a square building. Monolithic dome are even stronger. Constructing ride out domes for housing essential personnel……..etc during a disaster would be a smart investment.

  10. Bark'n, no Bit'n says:

    I don’t see no quote here calling out the RDA. They are body of government, they just build what they told… Maybe he should be taking some of that consultancy time to talk to those that issue the projects to the RDA, if that is what he think is wrong… or maybe he’s got comfortable in his contract, after all it should have ended three months ago…

  11. What !!! says:

    Can you believe what this f***d cl**n is saying when his VIP member Carvin Malone stated that for the RDA to do,you see any thing over 100k goes threw RDA facts

  12. Quiet Warrior says:

    Our fellow residents who have had their homes/residences destroyed/damaged by the September storms and who have not been able to repair their homes need a roof over their head. They need a place to call home, if only temporary. Our fellow residents who also had their homes destroyed/damaged and had means to repair them may have a different view. They may care more about aesthetics and appearance than the standard of living and quality of life of others. It is a bit elitist.

    However, the attitude may be grounded in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem and self-actualization. For example, a person who is homeless and hungry can give a rat’s ass about a play at the Eileen Parson Auditorium at HLSCC. The elitist on the other hand may be giddy about belonging, esteem and self-actualization.

    Moreover, undoubtedly, as the territory rebuild from the damages, it cannot rebuild in like kind. It must and should focus on sustainability, resilience and mitigating potential risks. The rebuilding effort is not a binary decision; it can rebuild yet meet the temporary housing needs of residents.

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