Deputy PM says government hopes to hire contractors who live in urban communities

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.

Comments

ThisIsOurs says...

Is the criteria for employment that you live in the community or is the criteria that you actually have some skills at repairing homes....it sounds good...but do I want my neighbour to fix my roof just because he lives in the neighborhood? If my neighbour is a carpenter but a horrible one or an unreliable one is he hired before someone who lives in Cable Beach? I wish they could give us some idea that they've thought of all aspects when they make these proposals. This sounds like a jobs for supporters programme.

Posted 26 June 2013, 6:35 p.m. Suggest removal

concernedcitizen says...

it is a good thing if they hire competent tradesmen to fix the most needy and elderly homes ..

Posted 26 June 2013, 6:56 p.m. Suggest removal

ThisIsOurs says...

Not disagreeing with you, It sounds good, I actually like the idea.

I just don't trust the 800,000 audit, 10million low cost home people to handle this budget allotment responsibly.

I want new tiles and I'm a good party supporter, why can't I get those guys to come and lay my tiles for free while I take my hard earned money to Miami? I just put 10 shingles on a lady's house and straightened her door, it took me 2days, they paid me 4000 dollars. Not to mention that I really don't have the skill to do any of it properly. I just happen to live in the neighbourhood...

I just don't trust them with money anymore. Shane Gibson was chosen to guard NIB.

Who guards the guardians?

Posted 26 June 2013, 8 p.m. Suggest removal

concernedcitizen says...

i think also goverments think now if you pump some money into the most "urban" areas ,ie welfare in the U/S. the working middle class and wealthy gets less guns stuck in their face ,,,problem is w/ the birth rate of these areas it keeps costing more .............Shane at NIB is tearing at the bit of respect i have left for PM PGC

Posted 26 June 2013, 8:11 p.m. Suggest removal

ignominy says...

Really? Are these the best ideas from the minds who run our countr?

Posted 26 June 2013, 10:04 p.m. Suggest removal

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