By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Staff Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

MORE than 200 contractors have been selected to take part in the first phase of the $9 million Urban Renewal Small Home Repairs programme.

Renward Wells, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Works and Urban Development, yesterday urged contractors to respect the dignity of home owners as they benefitted from the dual social intervention.

Works will be closely monitored by surveyors CCMG Limited for quality and fair pricing, according to Mr Wells.

Mr Wells said: “Contractors, please remember that you are to respect the dignity of the homeowners you are assisting in this house repair programme. This is most important for us, this small home repair programme is coming just before the Christmas holiday and we believe that it is an opportunity to stimulate the economy.”

The hall at St Agnes was filled to capacity with standing room only as the government launched the initiative in New Providence yesterday. 

Urban Renewal chairpersons have the authority to approve up to $10,000 in repairs for each individual residence, according to co-chairman Algernon Allen, who promised a transparent vetting process that was free from partisanship and bias.

“The works will vary because we have a limit of $10,000 (per residence), which we can of our own initiative approve, subject to a quality surveyor, more than that has to be approved by our recommendation to the Minister responsible,” Mr Allen said. “That can go very far – think of your own homes, when you do up to $10,000 in repairs that is a substantial amount of repairs. It will have a powerful impact, a transformative impact in our country.”

Mr Allen confirmed that hundreds of residences have already been selected within traditional urban areas, such as Bains and Grants Town, and Englerston. 

He added that the programme would be rolled out to the Family Islands to provide opportunities for local contractors shortly, starting with Grand Bahama and Abaco.

Contractors were vetted by the Ministry of Works, according to Mr Allen, who added that recipients were vetted by the Ministry of Social Services.

“Hundreds have already been selected,” said Mr Allen, “there have been surveys done by personnel at Social Services and at Urban Renewal centres. They have done a very thorough investigation and evaluation on those in the most urgent need, taking into account not only the structures, but also the means that the people who live there have to make the necessary repairs. So there is needs test and a survey to determine the state of dereliction of the home.

“There are presently almost 300 contractors selected from New Providence,” he added. “We are anticipating at the end of the day that we will repair thousands of homes. The initial allocation is some $9 million so we are assured that we will have an enormous impact through the length and breadth of the Bahamas.”