Multi-Million-Dollar Shelter Development Project Launched

More Saint Lucians to become Homeowners…

Contact: John Emmanuel 

Tuesday, November 13, 2001 - The Government of St. Lucia through the Ministry of Planning, Development and Housing has taken another significant step in allowing more St. Lucians to become homeowners. On Tuesday, the first phase of a four-pronged multi-million-dollar ‘Shelter Development Project’ that will allow thousands of low-income families to realize their dream of homeownership, was launched.

Housing Planner in the ministry Dr. Marilyn Morris says a number of other agencies will assist in implementing the programme. “The first component is what we call the Shelter Core Housing Programme which is basically a site and services scheme.  It will be implemented by the National Housing Corporation, a new agency that will be formed. The other component is the Tenancy Upgrading which has already started and is what we call the PROUD programme. The third component is the Home Repair and Retrofitting and this we hope to be administered through credit unions. We have identified three million dollars from the CDB (Caribbean Development Bank) funding to go towards this venture,” said Morris.

The final component involves the training of construction industry operatives namely tradesmen, contractors and supervisors, in order to standardise documents used in building construction.

The ‘Shelter Development Project’ is co-financed by the Caribbean Development Bank ($29.4 million) and the Government of Saint Lucia ($8.1 million).

Prime Minister, Honourable Dr. Kenny Anthony says the project is a significant achievement in the Government of St. Lucia’s overall development plan and, in particular, its commitment to poverty eradication and alleviation.

According to him, “Closely aligned to the government’s poverty reduction programme is the establishment of an overall strategy designed to address the housing needs of low-income households - that is, those that earn less that EC$2500 per month. The objective is to design a more efficient and sustained housing delivery and settlement improvement system for the targeted group.” 

The new strategy, he added, embraces both policy and programme formulation and interventions.

Housing Minister, Honourable Dr. Walter Francois, noted that the ‘Shelter Development Project’ is part of an overall comprehensive housing strategy, years in the making.  The other components of the projects will come on stream early in the new year.

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