By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

DEPUTY Prime Minister Phillip ‘Brave” Davis said the government hopes to hire contractors who live in “urban communities” for the small home repair programme.

Speaking to reporters outside Cabinet, Mr Davis said the process has already begun to identify homes in inner city areas that are in dire need of repairs.

“As soon as the budget kicks in we will begin the programme. Assessments are going on now as we speak to determine the small homes of the indigent and elderly people that require repairs and those reports are being compiled now so as soon as the budget kicks in we will see how fast we can do those repairs.

“My idea, which is subject to my technical officers’ advice, is to find contractors in the areas where these houses need to be repaired. We hope to get some of them to do the work,” he said.

“So we expect if the neighbour is a carpenter, we can hire the neighbour in respect to the repairs. We want to localise the work and make sure the people in the community, where these works are being carried out, are benefiting from the monies being spent.”

Mr Davis announced during the budget debate earlier this month that the government has allocated a total of $10 million for Urban Renewal and small home repairs.
This amount is allocated to the programme to effect minor home repairs in inner-city residential areas and also to support the programme’s other activities.

Mr Davis said the minor house repairs project is designed with the objective of completing small-scale renovations to houses owned by people who have been identified by social service representatives as needing such assistance.

Prime Minister Perry Christie said the programme will benefit small contractors and provide jobs to young men.