SVG shelter residents told to leave as housing recovery stalls

Families displaced by Hurricane Beryl and volcanic eruptions across Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are being ordered out of state emergency shelters, even though officials previously committed to repairing or rebuilding their homes.

Shelter residents in Buccament, Barrouallie, Rillan Hill, and Union Island have received eviction notices, according to reports of recent parliamentary and public discussions. When government representatives visited the facilities, they informed occupants that the state lacks funds for building materials or construction labour.

Public commentators have urged the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO), the Ministry of Housing, and the Ministry of Social Welfare to manage relocations openly and help vulnerable families find new accommodation, rather than pushing them out without support.

The housing minister told Parliament that budget funds approved for post-disaster recovery fall short of what is needed to address damage from the hurricane and eruption. Opposition voices contend that officials cut housing spending despite understanding how severe the disaster's impact would be.

The broader housing shortage reflects a sharp slowdown in construction. The current administration has overseen home building drop to just two houses per quarter in each constituency. This contrasts sharply with earlier initiatives that completed more than a dozen repairs weekly and over a dozen new builds monthly in some areas, plus dedicated efforts to address informal settlements throughout the islands.

Parliamentary and radio discussions have noted that government backing for housing help has nearly vanished as a result of budget constraints.