Disaster Reconstruction Authority seeking $5.8 million for Dorian rebuilding efforts

The Disaster Reconstruction Authority (DRA) is requesting $5.8 million in the upcoming 2021/2022 budget to continue Hurricane Dorian rebuilding efforts on Abaco and Grand Bahama, its Chairman John-Michael Clarke said yesterday.

Clarke said as of April 21, 3,735 homeowners have been approved for the DRA’s Small Home Repair Programme.

Of that amount, 1,270 homes have been successfully completed, 813 on Grand Bahama, 457 on Abaco at a cost of approximately $7.72 million – $4.72 million on Grand Bahama and approximately $3 million on Abaco.

“There is an additional 1,085 persons that we want to assist in the upcoming fiscal year, July 2021 to 2022 – 743 of those would be on Grand Bahama, 342 of those would be on Abaco,” Clarke said in an interview with Guardian Business.

“We expect to spend $3.7 million in Grand Bahama and another $2.1 million in Abaco. That funding has not yet been confirmed, we put it in for the upcoming budget and it is our hope that either we raise the money or depending on the fiscal position we’re in, we can use our government subvention to continue the program. That’s our goal.”

The DRA is presently working with 1,380 active homeowners that have enrolled in the program, Clarke said, who have either already gotten their construction materials or contractors have started working on rebuilding their homes.

Clarke said 953 of those homeowners are in Grand Bahama and 427 are on Abaco. Those repairs are expected to cost $4.5 million.

“The spend in Grand Bahama is another $3.1 million and we are going to spend approximately another $1.4 million on Abaco,” he said.

Hurricane Dorian swept through parts of Grand Bahama and Abaco as a deadly Category 5 storm, leaving an estimated $3 billion in damage to the communities impacted.

An estimated 70,000 people were left homeless as houses, hotels and businesses were leveled by what is considered to be the strongest hurricane force winds to wash over The Bahamas in recent history.

In recent weeks there has been rousing public discourse over the slow rebuilding efforts on the islands impacted and the housing shortage which has contributed to the challenges.

Despite the challenges, Clarke said he and his team remain focused on rebuilding the islands.

“For us, our original focus after the hurricane, of course you had the big environmental concerns with the hurricane debris, you had some issues with housing and shelter. Fortunately in Abaco the major healthcare facility was not as severely impacted as the hospital in Grand Bahama and we have been able to get the infrastructure up in Abaco, the Airport, that’s undergoing renovations now but it’s functional as opposed to Grand Bahama,” he said.

“So in some areas Abaco is doing better and in some areas Grand Bahama is doing a lot better. So what’s happening specifically in Abaco, we still have our immediate focus on the housing.”

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source https://thenassauguardian.com/disaster-reconstruction-authority-seeking-5-8-million-for-dorian-rebuilding-efforts/