By NICO SCAVELLA
Tribune Staff Reporter
nscavella@tribunemedia.net
THE Urban Renewal Commission intends to repair over 3,000 homes in New Providence in 2017 via its Small Homes Repair (SHR) programme, the organisation’s Co-Chair Algernon Allen said on Friday.
Mr Allen said Urban Renewal has been “mandated” by Prime Minister Perry Christie to “go out and search out virtually ever home here in New Providence”, with the aim at repairing and revitalising some 3,000 homes between January 2017 and “the end of 2017”. He said Urban Renewal hopes to put in place a “super grouping of contractors and others” through government assistance to see the plan through to completion.
Mr Allen also said the Urban Renewal Commission is currently in the process of completing repairs to 1,000 homes.
His statements came during a key presentation ceremony for two homeowners on Quintine Alley, off Wulff Road, whose home was rebuilt during Phase II of Urban Renewal’s SHR programme.
“Next year, we have been mandated by the Prime Minister to go out and search out virtually every home here in New Providence, and we hope that we put in place a super grouping of contractors and others through the assistance from government and other sources, and we intend to repair, between January 2017 and the end of 2017 over 3,000 homes,” Mr Allen said.
“That is our mandate. That is what we intend to do.”
Meanwhile Mr Christie, present for the key presentation ceremony, called the reconstruction of the house owned by siblings Susan Moss and Reginald Bullard a “wonderful development”.
“This is something that just works so well,” he said.
“Those two people could never have been able to afford even to repair their homes. They both have different forms of disability and that is why the intervention is so meaningful. We have to find to other people who are in similar positions and do the same thing for them.”
Urban Renewal Co-Chair Cynthia “Mother” Pratt also expressed her delight.
“This is home,” she said. “This my people, and we appreciate every effort we get because you know what?
“We’re helping to build a nation.
“And these people want to know that they have not been forgotten.
“And so this is indicative of what we’re about in Urban Renewal, making sure that nobody is forgotten.”
