Minister of Housing, Hon. Dr. Orando Brewster said in Parliament on Monday that 21 housing lots have been identified on Union Island to aid people who were displaced by Hurricane Beryl.
Minister Brewster said while progress has been made to date, challenges are still being addressed in the Southern Grenadines.
He confirmed that funding was allocated in the supplementary budget following Hurricane Beryl for both the purchase of lands and prefabricated homes to support displaced families but while efforts have advanced across several islands, Union Island remains the most challenging location in terms of land availability and housing recovery.
He noted that surveying and planning for these lots are currently underway and expected to be completed within two weeks, after which the lands will be handed over to the Ministry of Housing for development while the first shipment of prefabricated homes, sourced from Trinidad, is scheduled to arrive this week, with the Southern Grenadines prioritized in the distribution.
Minister Brewster also provided context on the shelter situation, noting that as of today, only 151 individuals remain in public shelters nationwide. However, he clarified that this number does not include persons being temporarily housed in tourism-based accommodations such as guesthouses.
He pointed out a major challenge: a significant number of remaining shelter residents were renters prior to the hurricane, not homeowners. Due to landlord hesitancy and in some cases displacement of tenants, many of these individuals have been unable to return to their previous housing arrangements.
To address this issue, the government has established a Resettlement Committee for the Southern Grenadines, which includes representatives from, The Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Mobilisation, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Transport and Works, NEMO and Grenadines Affairs.
The committee is actively working to develop solutions for persons who did not previously own homes, ensuring that they, too, can be supported in rebuilding their lives. Minister Brewster stressed that while the recovery process is complex and cannot be completed overnight, significant strides have been made.
“We are working feverishly,” he said. “We may not have everything done by next week, but I can assure you we are making real progress. Roofs are back on, reconstruction has started, and we are doing our best to restore normalcy to the lives of the people in the Southern Grenadines.”