Temporary houses needed urgently – Skelton

Minister of Health and Social Development Ronnie Skelton said there is an urgent need for temporary housing after category 5 hurricane Irma wrecked houses throughout the British Virgin Islands last month.

“There is an urgent need for temporary housing. We have the shelters and people can’t live in shelters long-term. They need to be able to get some level of temporary housing while they rebuild their permanent homes,” he said.

Skelton also listed housing needs among the reasons Government waived import duties on construction materials and other items.

The government, in the meantime, said more persons have started to move out of emergency shelters following the second category 5 hurricane, Maria, last month.

More than 300 persons ended up in shelters because of the hurricanes.

“What I see is that fewer people are now in shelters, which means that they are being accommodated by friends and relatives – which is good,” Premier Dr D Orlando Smith recently said.

He continued: “[The move from shelters to homes] demonstrates the community spirit that exists in the BVI, and I want to continue to encourage people to work together [and] support one another because that’s the only way we are gonna succeed.”