Government agencies are pooling theirresources in a collaborative push to get residents on Grand Bahama andAbaco, who were displaced three years ago, back into their homes andessential services returned to their communities.

Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey, while bringing remarksat a press conference on Wednesday, October 12, 2022 at the DisasterReconstruction Authority (DRA) Office to give an update on theHomeowner Assistance Repair Program (HARP), said a number of residentsare still in need of assistance after the passage of Hurricane Dorian and itwill take a collaborative effort.

“We’ve come together really because we needed a united effort in order toget things done on this island,” Minister Moxey said.

To that end, the Ministry for Grand Bahama, the Ministry of Works, theDRA, the Department of Environmental Health, Urban Renewal, LocalGovernment and other government agencies are pulling out all the stops.The DRA is spearheading HARP, beginning in East Grand Bahama, and withassessments ongoing, the first temporary work crews already hired andbuilding materials expected on island next week, work is set to begin on thefirst set of homes in Rocky Creek soon.

“There has been so many of us who have been waiting to see the homerepairs project started again through the Disaster ReconstructionAuthority,” Minister Moxey said.

Senator Kirkland Russell, who was also on hand for the announcement,pointed out that The Government’s thrust is not just about repairingpeople’s homes.

“It’s about getting people, who are stuck in Freeport and in other parts ofGrand Bahama paying rent, who want to get back to their dwelling, whowant to get back to their community,” he said.

Some, he pointed out, simply need a cesspit tank, their plumbingconnected or their kitchen completed in order to move back into theirhomes.

He also commended the government agencies for the work being carriedout to revive the homes and communities in East Grand Bahama so thatresidents who are yearning to be back in their homes can return.

“We’re talking about getting the schools that were once condemned by theformer administration, getting those schools back into service so we canstop ferrying children from Sweeting’s Cay and bussing them fromMcLean’s Town all the way into Freeport. This is about getting governmentagencies back into East Grand Bahama,” he said.

With the Police Station and the Post Office Department reopened inMcLean’s Town and Local Government, Social Services and Urban Renewalset to come on stream in East Grand Bahama, Senator Russell said theobjective of the Government is simply to bring compassionate relief to thepeople of Grand Bahama through collaboration.

Administrator for East Grand Bahama Gilbert Kemp is also excited aboutthe progress and revealed that office spaces for most of the governmentagencies for East Grand Bahama have been secured and he expected to bein his office by next week.

According DRA Chairman Alex Storr, to-date, some 1,000 persons havecontacted his office for assistance via HARP.

 

Government agencies are pooling their resources in a collaborative push to get residents on Grand Bahama and Abaco, who were displaced three years ago, back into their homes and essential services returned to their communities. Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey, while bringing remarks at a press conference on Wednesday, October 12, 2022 at the Disaster Reconstruction Authority (DRA) Office to give an update on the Homeowner Assistance Repair Program (HARP), said a number of residents are still in need of assistance after the passage of Hurricane Dorian and it will take a collaborative effort. “We’ve come together really because we needed a united effort in order to get things done on this island,” Minister Moxey said. To that end, the Ministry for Grand Bahama, the Ministry of Works, the DRA, the Department of Environmental Health, Urban Renewal, Local Government and other government agencies are pulling out all the stops. The DRA is spearheading HARP, beginning in East Grand Bahama, and with assessments ongoing, the first temporary work crews already hired and building materials expected on island next week, work is set to begin on the first set of homes in Rocky Creek soon. “There has been so many of us who have been waiting to see the home repairs project started again through the Disaster Reconstruction Authority,” Minister Moxey said. Senator Kirkland Russell, who was also on hand for the announcement, pointed out that The Government’s thrust is not just about repairing people’s homes. “It’s about getting people, who are stuck in Freeport and in other parts of Grand Bahama paying rent, who want to get back to their dwelling, who want to get back to their community,” he said. Some, he pointed out, simply need a cesspit tank, their plumbing connected or their kitchen completed in order to move back into their homes. He also commended the government agencies for the work being carried out to revive the homes and communities in East Grand Bahama so that residents who are yearning to be back in their homes can return. “We’re talking about getting the schools that were once condemned by the former administration, getting those schools back into service so we can stop ferrying children from Sweeting’s Cay and bussing them from McLean’s Town all the way into Freeport. This is about getting government agencies back into East Grand Bahama,” he said. With the Police Station and the Post Office Department reopened in McLean’s Town and Local Government, Social Services and Urban Renewal set to come on stream in East Grand Bahama, Senator Russell said the objective of the Government is simply to bring compassionate relief to the people of Grand Bahama through collaboration. Administrator for East Grand Bahama Gilbert Kemp is also excited about the progress and revealed that office spaces for most of the government agencies for East Grand Bahama have been secured and he expected to be in his office by next week. According DRA Chairman Alex Storr, to-date, some 1,000 persons have contacted his office for assistance via HARP.

The Ministry of Transport and Housing wishes to advise members of the public of the process for applying for homes under the Department of Housing (DOH).

In early January 2022, the DOH underwent a transformative re-organization to improve transparency, promote efficiency and enhance customer service delivery.
Two critical components of the re-organization exercise were the design and implementation of a modern, interactive website - www.mothbahamas.com and the establishment of a dedicated Customer Service team focused on relationship building.

All applications must be channeled through the website.

In addition to completing the online application at www.mothbahamas.com, applicants must provide the following minimum information: 1) Passport, 2) National Insurance Board (NIB) Card - with photo, 3) Voters Card or recent utility bill bearing street address, 4) Job Letter - not older than 30 days from date of application, 5) Recent pay-stubs - full month, 6) Savings Account Statement - not older than 30 days from date of application, 7) Statement of existing loans, credit cards, etc. - showing balance, payment due date, and monthly payment amount, and 8) Pre-qualification letter from preferred Bank or other financial institution.

Self-employed applicants must provide information concerning their business, such as business license and/or incorporation documents (Certificate of Good Standing, Certificate of Incorporation, Memorandum and Articles of Association, Annual Return), Business financials, and Business account statements will be required.
Applicants must upload all the necessary documents and the pre-qualification letter from their preferred financial institution to www.mothbahamas.com for processing and approval by the DOH The Ministry of Transport and Housing and the Department of Housing remain committed to expanding the path to homeownership for Bahamians.

August 3, 2022
Ministry of Transport & Housing
Commonwealth of The Bahamas

FAMILIES in Central Eleuthera face summer misery as a new water crisis could potentially hit their homes.

Water and Sewerage announced on Sunday that a major mechanical failure at their Naval Base desalination plant earlier yesterday morning will result in some customers experiencing no water supply.

“Presently, customers are being supplied utilising the available storage and the water production from the remaining operational train. However, once the water storage is fully depleted, which we expect by this evening (Sunday), residents in Central Eleuthera, particularly those at higher elevations and those at

the ends of the system will experience no water supply and other residents will experience low water pressure as the remaining operational train water production is only approximately 55% of the system demand,” the release read.

“The Corporation is working very closely with the Plant’s Contractor to return the failed train to service at the earliest opportunity but this is unfortunately not expected until late Monday evening at the earliest.”

The company apologised to customers for “all and any inconvenience “caused and urged residents and businesses in Central Eleuthera to conserve water as much as possible over the next 72 hours as they work to restore the normal water supply.

“As shared previously, the Corporation’s Board has mandated that critical water supply investments for Eleuthera, move ahead urgently without delay, and the Corporation recently executed a contract for a new 1,000,000 imperial gallon storage tank at our Naval Base Pumping Station and another 1,000,000 imperial gallon storage tank at our Bogue Pumping Station at a total contract value of $2,756,000.”

“The Corporation has paid the initial deposits for both tanks and we are pressing the Tank Contractor to move as quickly as possible but these works will take several months to complete and commission. These tanks will increase the available water in storage that can be utilized to supply customers while major mechanical issues are addressed, thereby reducing the frequency of water supply interruptions. “

The release added: “Separately, the Corporation is also working closely with our Desalination Contractor who has plants at Waterford, Tarpum Bay, Naval Bay and Bogue, Eleuthera to identify all major mechanical failure risk components and to ensure that critical spares are readily available on island and adequate redundancies are in place.”

“The Corporation’s Board and Management met with the Desalination Contractor as late as 28th June, 2022 to express the frustrations of our customers and all stakeholders with these failures and to agree to a strategic plan for rigorous investments and major operational improvements at these plants.”

THE government has allocated $500,000 for a new women's shelter, it was revealed in the Senate.

Violence against women in The Bahamas has increased in recent years, leading such advocates as Khandi Gibson of Families Of All Murder victims to advocate for a facility that provides shelter for abused women or those who have fallen on hard times.

Ms Gibson told The Tribune in an interview recently that in consistently supporting the rights of women, she now looks forward to the shelter and partnering with the government for the initiative.

“This is something that I’ve been advocating for years, under the previous administration and under this new administration,” she said. “I was even prepared to get arrested during the Duke and Duchess’ visit to The Bahamas. Safe houses and shelters is something that women need.”

Ms Gibson added that in 2017 she requested Crown land to build a women’s shelter, but was unsuccessful.

Ms Gibson stressed that women who are victims of domestic violence are faced with the brutal reality of being told “no” when asking for a place to stay or any kind of assistance. With the shelter being built Ms Gibson believes it will provide a safe environment and also an opportunity to empower victims.

During her contribution to the Budget debate, Senator Maxine Seymour raised questions of government over the funding allocated for the shelter.

“I spoke with a professionally trained architect and a commercial project manager. They both felt like $500,000 is a very low number for a comprehensive shelter that includes living areas (dormitory), commercial kitchen, common eating areas, classroom or lecture halls, laundry, storage, mechanical rooms, security, entertainment areas, etc. particularly outdoor positive space,” she said.

Ms Seymour questioned the kind of shelter the government expects to build for the funding it is allocating.

“How is the government going to build a shelter for women across the archipelago because we may have to fly in those from other islands? How is a $500,000 building going to accommodate or cater to the needs of women and children in our country who are abused on a daily basis?”