Houses for Hurricane Victims Soon

Minister with responsibility for Information, Senator the Hon. Sandrea Falconer, has advised that some 158 houses, which are being constructed for victims of Hurricane Sandy, in Portland, St. Mary and St. Thomas, are at various stages of completion.

Additionally, she said 20 bases have been completed and are ready for the installation of houses.

The Minister was speaking at the Jamaica House media briefing, held on December 19, at the Office of the Prime Minister.

“We hope that by the 25th of December, we will be able to hand over 200 houses to families who had lost their homes during Hurricane Sandy. And we hope that by the end of the year, we will hand over 250 houses as we had promised,” she said.

The project, which commenced in November, is being jointly undertaken by the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing and Food for the Poor.

Minister with responsibility for Housing, Hon. Dr. Morais Guy, indicated during a Jamaica House Media Briefing in November that some 28 houses had been completed up to that point.

He also advised thatthe assistance of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) engineering unit had been enlisted to expedite the construction of the houses for victims, and have them completed by Christmas Day, December 25.

“We have to thank the JDF. They have been on the ground. They have 80 officers deployed in St. Mary, and once they are finished with the works in St. Mary, they will move on to the other areas of the island,” Senator Falconer said.