Dominica: Melissa Skerrit overseas progress at Paix Bouche Housing Project

Dominica: Housing Minister Melissa Skerrit embarked on a site visit to the Paix Bouche Housing Project in Dominica. She analyzed the progress at the site and said that the construction has marked the 80% completion. Under the Paix Bouche Housing Project, the government of Dominica has been constructing 16 housing units which are resilient and comfortable for the community. During the site visit, Minister Melissa Skerrit was accompanied by the Parliamentary Representative for the Paix Bouche Constituency, Lakeyia Joseph, who was thrilled to see the incredible progress at the site.

Joseph expressed her sincere gratitude to the Housing Minister and her dedicated team and former Parliamentary Representative Roselyn Paul for their relentless efforts in turning this vision into reality.

[caption id="attachment_67914" align="aligncenter" width="375"] Minister Melissa Skerrit and her team at the site[/caption] She said, "Here's to building dreams, one brick at a time!." She also expressed her joy over the positive impact of a housing project on the community and highlighted the project's role in providing employment opportunities for individuals. [caption id="attachment_67915" align="aligncenter" width="375"] Housing Ministry officials and Lakeyia Joseph on the housing site[/caption]

Notably, the Paix Bouche Housing Project provided employment to around 10 to 20 individuals from the area and hires local contractors.

It is to be noted that the houses under construction in the project are designed to withstand hurricane-force winds as well as climatic disasters.

During an earlier visit to the site, Minister Skerrit highlighted that these homes are being built using concrete, which will allow for potential future expansion, either by adding a second floor or a ground floor.

She added the houses feature open-space designs with kitchenettes, living areas, modern lighting, and some units already have fans installed, and overall, the project is progressing well.

With most of the work already completed, it is anticipated that the unit will be completed within two months, bringing a huge satisfaction to a few families.

The Government of Dominica is working towards the Housing Recovery Project with an aim to ease all the citizens. The project continues to improve the overall resilience of the island's housing sector by encouraging resilient building practices, facilitating capacity building of local contractors, and providing direct support to vulnerable households for the rebuilding of homes which were destroyed by Hurricane Maria.

The Government of Dominica, through the HRP, remains committed to the provision of resilient homes to displaced beneficiaries using an owner-driven implementation approach.

Under this approach, the government currently provides beneficiaries with a core house with a floor area of approximately 550 square feet, which can be subsequently expanded when the homeowner’s resources permit.