Dominica: Construction of 98 homes and community amenities nearing completion in Grand Bay

Roseau, Dominica: A total of 98 homes and other community amenities are nearing completion in Dubique and Grand Bay in Dominica under a Housing and Community Development Project. The main aim is to improve living conditions and foster resilience goals in the face of natural disasters.

Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit visited the project site last Thursday to get a firsthand update and noted that after Erika, Dominica provided housing to the residents of Dubique. He said that the homes were built and people were moved to other places as some of them were impacted by Maria.

Some of the houses will be assigned to the residents of Dubique and around 26 will be given to the residents of Grand Bay. Other infrastructural projects are also ongoing to complement the housing development.

Each unit is around 1,50 square ft and the common buildings include a community centre which is 6k square ft and 7k square ft. Another 3,500 square feet in addition to the large landscaped area will be used for outdoor events. A magistrate’s court was also completed by MMCE.

Each home, costing around $450,000 will be provided with a certificate of title, offering families an asset that can be leveraged for loans, small businesses or education far exceeding the value of temporary financial aid.

In addition to that, the location has a fire service building to house the fire servicemen and the police station was also refurbished as well. A community centre was also built at the lower level of the community centre along with a hurricane shelter. It has also included a shopping centre to enhance the communities across the Grand Bay.

PM Skerrit noted, “We are also building a community centre at the bottom of the community centre and you have a hurricane shelter. I don’t think the people here need it because all of these homes are built with resilience in mind, the impact of natural disasters. It will also serve the residents of Grand Bay because this is all part of the Grand Bay community.”

Parliamentary Representative Julian Defoe said that these homes will once again bring a spirit of unity to the people of Dubique. “We can see light at the end of the tunnel as the rent is being paid for as Dubique has always been a community that is close-knit because of housing issues and citizens have to play at various locations in Grand Bay.”

The project is being funded by the Citizenship by Investment Programme.