by Linda Straker
- Government will look to team up with private-sector stakeholders
- 500 high-quality climate-resilient Grenadian-style houses promised in budget
- Stony Gut Climate-Resilient Housing Development Pilot Projectallocated EC$2.5 million
Housing Minister Phillip Telesford said that the Dickon Mitchell administration might not build the 500 homes it has promised to deliver during the first budgeted year with 100% funding from the Government. Instead, it will look to team up with stakeholders in the private sector.
“The Government of Grenada may not necessarily build homes, but we may wish to partner by way of putting in infrastructural work. Those of you who have large portions of land and wish to partner with us, we may enter into a joint venture for such a purpose,” he said during a meeting last Monday with private land owners, contractors and other service providers in the construction industry.
“Architects, designers, and contractors, we want to engage you because we want you to partner with us,” he said. The meeting was held at the Grenada Boys Secondary School (GBSS) auditorium. Telesford, who also serves as Minister for Social Development, Community Development, and Gender Affairs, disclosed that the Government would pilot a housing project in the parish of St John where samples of futuristic homes will be erected. “In Marigot, or what you call Stony Gut, we have a portion of land that we want to use as a sort of testing grounds to build some sample homes, utilising new types of building materials; utilising natural light from the sun, rainwater harvesting, ozone friendly materials and whatever we can lay our hands on — solar heating and lighting — whatever we can lay our hands on as a sort of sample as to what is possible in the future.”
“I am sure we can build some futuristic homes, and this is where the architects come in, this is where you come in, and this is where contractors come in, to be able to build these as a sample as to what the future looks like,” he said.
He said that the approach adopted to construct the homes will be key to achieving the Government’s goal of building 500 homes. “How do we partner; how do we make this happen? I can tell you for a fact, many people from the international circle have been knocking on the doors of Grenada to come in to build homes or to sell us prefab homes, to sell us building materials…because they want to partner,” he said.
In his 2023 budget statement, which was presented to the Parliament in December 2022, Finance Minister Dickon Mitchell said that his administration’s commitment in this term is to deliver 500 high-quality climate-resilient Grenadian-style houses.
He explained that one of the major initiatives in this budget cycle will include the Stony Gut Climate-Resilient Housing Development Pilot Project, which aims to construct modern, high-quality, climate-resilient, Grenadian-styled homes in Stony Gut, St John. The allocation for that project is EC$2.5 million.
Thise people from outside always want to dump stuff in the Caribbean or Africa. Be very careful of who you partner with. I want to see hurricane proof designs NOT some cheap prefab crap that will not stand up to the most drastic weather. You should be providing FINANCIAL INCENTIVES to locals now for installing solar panels or small wind turbines to generate electricity, FINANCIAL INCENTIVES such as loans for EVERY home to have water tanks for storage as NAWASA gives water to hotels but cuts off local residents for DAYS. You need to address the matter of creating WATER RESERVOIRS that can be dug into the ground partially, covered with a filtration system to keep out contaminants like leaves, dust, dead animals and such so there is water in the dry times. These reservoirs need to be able to create POTABLE WATER not just access for farmers. Put in a desalination plant.
NO MORE stupid demands on fresh water like a golf course or hotels or fake medical developments like Moubt Hartman. While you supply these foreign investors with WATER at the expense of your citizens. Do you think for one moment that THEY will put up with NO WATER for 3 days or a week? No water to drink, bathe, do laundry!!!
Make the changes for the existing homes NOW !
Love the idea of rain harvesting. Solar energy is just as important.