The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

WITH two months before the official start of hurricane season, many Grand Bahama residents are still waiting to receive a call from the Disaster Reconstruction Authority to hear whether money is available for them to continue much-needed home repairs.

To date, more than 2,500 homeowners are currently being assisted in Grand Bahama and Abaco since the Small Homes Repair programme resumed earlier this year, a DRA official reported.

According to Wendell Grant, project director of DRA, funds amounting to some $2.7 million have been given so far for home repairs since the programme resumed in February.

“We have been back up and running since February 16, and the government has given funding in batches for the different allotments based on people in the system,” he explained.

Mr Grant indicated that DRA is dealing with homeowners according to the three categories they fall under.

The first group includes those who were approved, have already benefited and were provided purchase orders for materials or labour.

“We are finishing off that group of people,” Mr Grant said. “We are pushing through the first set of people.”

He said 2,645 people are currently being assisted both in Abaco and Grand Bahama. Of that number, he said 940 homeowners have been assisted so far with purchase orders to the various vendors.

“That amounts to $2.7 million that have been given so far,” added Mr Grant. “Out of the 940 assisted, 450 homes are completed today, and four weeks from now we project completion of another 1,000 homes in that group.”

The second group of persons who will benefit next are those who received purchase orders to get materials, but did not get the materials before the programme was suspended.

Mr Grant said officials will have to re-issue POs to that group of people because the old ones have expired.

He said that the third and final group are those who are approved but did not receive purchase orders.

Although he was not certain whether all repairs would be completed before the hurricane season begins, he expects that a large percentage would have benefited.

Mr Grant explained that how quickly repairs are completed is also dependent on the homeowner.

“The more houses that have their ducks in a row the quicker the process and repairs can be completed,” he said.

He said the DRA has done its all work in terms of assessments and making sure that the vendors are approved.

While much progress has been island-wide in terms of rebuilding, there are still residents in need of assistance for major repairs, particularly in the East Grand Bahama constituency.

A few weeks ago, East Grand Bahama MP Peter Turnquest expressed concerns about the state of some of his constituents, saying more needed to be done for them.

East Grand Bahama was one of the areas hardest hit and severely impacted by Hurricane Dorian in September 2019. Many homes and properties were destroyed, leaving families and residents displaced.

Residents have made their way back to settlements in East End to rebuild. Reconstruction has been slow in the Lady Lake Subdivision and areas over the bridge, where some damaged homes still remained untouched since the hurricane.

When The Tribune visited the Lady Lake Subdivision on Tuesday, there were signs of rebuilding, but restoration is moving slowly. The area experienced a 25ft storm surge that battered and destroyed many homes in that area, which is below sea level.

One East Grand Bahama resident, who has applied for help under the Small Homes Repairs programme, hopes that she will be contacted soon by the DRA to resume repairs on her home.

“I am eagerly waiting for DRA,” said the woman who asked not to be named. “I contacted them several times and I was asked last week to send in a quote, and I am still waiting to hear back from them.”

The woman had received some assistance initially when the programme was first implemented. “They assisted me with some things and then it was discontinued, but I am hoping they will…contact me soon.”

The resident has a mould issue and needs materials to complete the remainder of repairs. “Hurricane season is (soon) upon us and (repairs) are taking a bit long; I hope they will rectify the problem and allow us to get the materials we need for repairs.”

Due to limited funds, things didn’t work out with her contractor, she said, and she is relying on her family for help with labour to finish the repairs.

However, she thanked her MP, Mr Turnquest, saying his team has helped her.

“I thank Mr Turnquest and his team that has been doing quite a bit to assist me, I am very grateful to him,” she said.