Antigua and Barbuda: PM Browne hands over 11 homes

Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne handed over 11 renovated homes to the families displaced during Hurricane Irma in 2017. The homes were handed over under phase 2 of the EU Housing Support to Barbuda Project.Prime Minister Browne was accompanied by the Vice President of EU Commission Frans Timmermans during the handover ceremony on Wednesday.The officials stated the homes are part of the 84 houses that are being renovated as part of €5 million-euro project that aims at rebuilding or repairing homes that were damaged during Hurricane Irma.Prime Minister Gaston Browne stated that he is extremely happy with the progress in the past 12 to 18 months. He said over 80% of the homes had been restored. [caption id="attachment_37760" align="aligncenter" width="100%"] EU delegation in Antigua and Barbuda[/caption]European Union Mr Frans Timmermans applauded the work done by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean with support from the EU. Timmermans said he admires UNDP's work worldwide, but they did a great job in Antigua and Barbuda. The beneficiaries of the 11 homes also included a woman named Gloria Cephas, a mother of eight children. She thanked the government of Antigua and Barbuda and the EU for helping her. The construction and repair of these 11 homes started in July 2021. While many other houses are expected to complete by November 2021 under the "Build Back Better" approach of the Gaston Browne led government.The Office of the National Authorising Officer (ONAO), with the help of the Beneficiary Selection Committee (BSC), will extend the selection process to restore the most affected homes, overall adding 104 homes.