By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

TRANSPORT and Housing Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis said her ministry intends to construct some 300 homes in Abaco over the next year to help alleviate the housing crisis on the island.

About 50 of those homes should be nearing completion by year’s end, she added.

“Right now, we are doing about 30 homes,” Mrs Coleby-Davis said when asked about her ministry’s housing plans for the island yesterday.

“The first PPP (public private partnership) that we had engaged, they already started the first 10 of the homes. We were able to issue assignment letters for two (out) of those ten and we’re getting ready to start the other 18 lots. I think they have 18 lots on one side, and then another few lots elsewhere so that’s in the Central Pines area.”

Regarding their housing plans for the Spring City community, Mrs Coleby- Davis said work is currently underway to develop several housing plots.

“Spring City is where we’re doing some infrastructure work on a portion that has 21 lots surveyed already,” she added. “So, we will be seeking to start construction on that as soon as the infrastructure is done and then, of course, we have I think it’s Pine Tree project that I announced during my budget contribution that we’re reviewing the landmass of that area to see what’s still available for us to begin seeking to do some homes there.

“And that’s a large plot of land. That’s my assessment (and) I think that was over 1,000 acres. So how much of that is available for us to use - we’re hoping to start that like how we’re doing with Renaissance (so) about 200 (homes) in the first phase.

“So that’s in the early stages though, and we’re hoping to speed it up in the next few months.”

Abaco has been facing a housing shortage since September 2019 when Hurricane Dorian laid waste to hundreds of homes and major infrastructure there.

Three years later, some residents are still living in government domes and other temporary housing structures as many storm-torn buildings on the island have yet to be rebuilt.

Asked yesterday to respond to the criticisms that little to nothing has been done by government to assist residents over the last three years, Mrs Coleby-Davis replied: “I think that’s really unfortunate that the time it’s taken to rebuild Abaco.”

She added, “And I’m doing my part in the Ministry of Housing to try and get as many homes built and to bring some sort of normalcy back to those families and to ensure that they have a safe place to call their home so I’m trying my best.

“My team is working really hard. We’ve been at it from I took office in the ministry and I think we’re going to be able to help them. Next year, we should see a lot more coming out of Abaco in terms of housing.”

Recently, Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis admitted that progress to have the island restored to normal has been slow and not enough has been done to assist Abaco. The Davis administration took office a year ago.

He pledged to do more to help residents there and also said he wouldn’t be pleased with the island’s progress until more homes have been built.

“I can say that since taking office, we have accelerated our plans,” Prime Minister Davis told reporters Monday. “We have set up a homeowners assistance relief programme to help them immediately. As you well know, for at least two and a half years, there was nothing done, but we have now been giving people homes.

“We gave at least two homes. Other homes are now being constructed and we are now stepping up the pace to ensure that the challenges of housing in Abaco are answered.”