Jost Van Dyke resident receives home under recovery programme

Mr. Dalvin “Din-Din” Callwood, a resident of Little Harbour Jost Van Dyke, has become the latest homeowner under the Ministry of Health and Social Development’s Housing Recovery Assistance Programme.

With great excitement, Mr. Callwood received the keys to his new studio unit home and expressed his gratitude to the ministry for making his dream of homeownership a reality.

“I am extremely proud of my new home and I promise to take good care of it. I have never been happier. I would like to thank the minister and everyone involved for assisting me,” Mr. Callwood said.

Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley, the Minister for Health and Social Development, commended the Housing Unit in the ministry for their efforts in ensuring that residents of the Virgin Islands, like Mr. Callwood, can afford a home.

“We are six years post-Hurricane Irma, and while some are still in the recovery stage, I am pleased to continue this program with the ministry. We currently have at least four homes under construction, and we will strive to continue this program for our residents who were displaced by the hurricanes. I am glad we can hand over yet another house in 2023,” Honourable Wheatley stated.

Mr. Marquese Maduro, the Project Manager at Project Management and Construction Solutions, provided insights into the quality of the house built for Mr. Callwood, highlighting its unique features compared to other houses constructed under the program.

According to Mr. Maduro, the house is a wooden structure, while the bathroom is made from concrete, serving as a hurricane bunker in case the Territory is impacted by future hurricanes.

“This demonstrates the government’s commitment to building better, more efficient homes and protecting the residents who receive them. Hopefully, in the future, if we face anything like Irma, more of our residents will be safeguarded,” Mr. Maduro explained.

Mr. David Fonseca, a representative of Construction Engineering Systems (B.V.I) Ltd., expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Health and Social Development for giving their company the opportunity to construct a home for Mr. Callwood. Mr. Fonseca emphasized that the house was built in an efficient and resilient manner to withstand natural disasters.

Since the inception of the Housing Recovery Assistance Programme, more than 25 homes have been constructed and over 200 have been repaired.