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Minister of Housing and Lands, Michael Lashley (left, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, NULL, NULL, 0); Acting Deputy General Manager of the National Housing Corporation, Garvey Alleyne; and Acting??General Manager of the National Housing Corporation,??Lanette Napoleon-Young, in discussion on Friday with one of the workers on the site of homes under construction??at Lead Vale, Christ Church. The homes??will accommodate persons who will??be relocated from the flight path of the Grantley Adams International Airport.??
National Housing Corporation (NHC) employees are on the job at Leadvale, Christ Church, working to complete six homes by November for residents to be relocated as part of the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) Expansion Project.
While visiting the 11-lot site today, Housing Minister Michael Lashley stated that he was impressed with the work and pace of the project and aimed to have the residents "relocated in comfort".
"I am pleased that NHC workers are playing their part and we are on target to finish the first six homes by November 30th.?? Based on the fact that the project started in late July and we had some inclement weather, I think the workers must be complemented," he emphasised.
Assistant Chief Technical Officer at the NHC, Russell Armstrong, explained that the three and four bedroom homes were designed with the full consultation of the persons to be relocated as a result of the GAIA Expansion Project.
"We have been working closely with the Ministry of Housing and Lands in terms of satisfying the homeowners’ needs. They had meetings with the Ministry where they would have identified what they would have wanted to see within their homes and we have accommodated them," he explained.
Mr Armstrong noted that though the Corporation had lost approximately 700 man hours due to rain, they had still completed two homes, thus far, up to ring beam level.
??"We have another two homes that we are going to cast the foundation within another week and the last two we are going to cast the foundations in two weeks time.?? So, I think we are pleased with the progress at NHC and we should meet our target date," the NHC official added.
All construction work is being carried out by the 15 NHC workers on site with the exception of the small contractors, hired to dig wells.?? The remaining five homes are in the planning stages, with the eventual residents doing site visits and giving input on the final design of the homes.?? ??
Minister Lashley pointed out that construction of the homes was being financed by the GAIA through the Ministry of International Business and International Transport.
He also noted that in the next couple of months his team would be focussing on rental units. ??"We have had designs and we are looking at really accelerating that programme… throughout Barbados," Mr. Lashley said.??
He added:?? "I am pressing ahead with the business of building houses…?? the demand is here and we are pressing ahead with the people’s business."??
Minister Lashley was also accompanied by Acting General Manager at the NHC, Lanette Napoleon-Young and Acting Deputy General Manager, Garvey Alleyne.??lbayley@barbados.gov.bb