More climate-resilient homes to be handed over in Dominica

Twenty-six recipients are expected to get keys to their recently constructed homes in Bellevue Rawle, Stock farm.

The houses were built by Montreal Management Company Est (MMCE) under the government’s CBI option.

 “Today I am happy to report that the cabinet has approved the 26 recipients for the newly created resilient homes in the Bellevue Rawle Development,” Housing Minister Reginald Austrie said in a cabinet statement.

 “The Government of Dominica over the years in its purpose to transform the house stock of our people, with modern, resilient housing in partnership with Montreal Management Company (MMCE) is here to confirm and deliver on our promise.”

He said while 26 families will get the keys to their homes, the bigger impact will touch the lives of over 100 individuals who will occupy these homes.

According to Austrie, this community comprises 3-bedroom units which are constructed with concrete roof and building and which also contain solar water heaters and finished roof coverings

“Each unit comes finished with kitchen and bath installation,” Austrie stated.

He said to-date, a total of 897 houses have been constructed under the MMCE housing programme.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Octavia Alfred, announced last week that the Cabinet of Dominica has established the grants of two (2) contracts for the rehabilitation of the Grandbay Primary School and the Wills Strathmore Stevens Primary School.

“Today, I am happy to state that the Cabinet of Dominica has approved the awards of two (2) more deals as follows: the reconstruction of the Grandbay Primary School in the number of EC 3 million, one number and forty-seven thousand, three number and seventy dollars and seventy-six cents and the Wills Strathmore Stevens Primary School in the number of EC two million one hundred and seventy-five thousand, four number and fifty dollars and fifty cents,” Alfred said.

She stated that that, over the years, the Government of Dominica has built and refurbished schools island-wide with greater weight on climate resilience standards.

According to the minister, in 2018, under the Dominica Climate Resilience and Restoration Project in a collaborative effort between the government of Canada and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the government identified five schools for rehabilitation, namely Morne Jaune Primary School, Delices Primary School, Grandbay Primary School, Salisbury Primary School, and Wills Strathmore Stevens Primary School in Marigot.

The total cost was estimated at $US 7.563 or EC$20.2 million.

Recently, the government handed over a renovated Salisbury Primary School and works are ongoing at Morne Jaune Primary School and the Delices Primary School.

Alfred said that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Dominica continues to fulfill its hope to improve and manage the physical plant of schools publicly.