Union Island is receiving prefab housing units as the St. Vincent government intensifies efforts to shelter residents who lost their homes when Hurricane Beryl devastated the southern Grenadines island, destroying or damaging roughly 80 percent of its housing stock.
Minister Andrew John announced the push during a national broadcast, crediting private sector partner Ian Waist with speeding up the recovery. Construction crews are finishing new homes within five to six weeks, and teams are simultaneously repairing roofs across the island.
Before families move in, the government is making sure water and electricity reach all repaired and newly built structures. Officials are working directly with utility companies to connect these services, preventing residents from returning to homes without power or running water.
Many people who fled to mainland St. Vincent have not yet come back, held there by temporary jobs and school-age children. Authorities continue pushing for their return.
Support is flowing from both international and local sources. A Canadian charity, partnering with the National Emergency Management Organisation and local residents, is furnishing newly completed homes with kitchen appliances and refrigerators. A local hotel is also offering three months of free lodging to elderly evacuees as they wait for permanent housing.
Union Island resident Leota Sandy has moved into her new home, which includes wheelchair-accessible ramps and is awaiting power connection.
The Housing and Land Development Corporation is placing prefab units to house people who previously rented or owned no land on Union Island. The government had aimed to complete resettlement by December but now expects the work to stretch into early next year as electrical work and other community services continue.
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