Carlton Benners and his caretaker receive the keys to a new home on Anegada last week. (Photo: GIS)

Carlton Benners and his caretaker received the keys to a new home in The Settlement, Anegada as part of the Virgin Islands Housing Recovery Assistance Programme, government announced last week.

The home is the 19th that has been completed since the programme was launched and funded by about $15 million after hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, according to Health and Social Development Minister Marlon Penn.

Also as part of the programme, he said, eight more new homes are at various stages of the tendering process, and more than 200 have been repaired.

The Anegada home was erected by Lawrence Wheatley Construction, which received a $183,301.25 contract for the project after Cabinet decided in August 2021 to approve a Central Tenders Board recommendation following a tender process.

Handover

Last week, Mr. Penn presented the keys for the home to Mr. Benner during a March 20 ceremony on the sister island.

“We are happy to be able to continue the process and continue to assist the people in the community who are struggling with these vulnerabilities,” Mr. Penn said. “I am looking at the home right now, and Mr. Benners has one of the sturdiest homes I have seen on Anegada. And the contractors have attested that it is built on bedrock, which means it will stand firm through the test of time.”

Mr. Penn also applauded his ministry’s Housing Unit for its work in rebuilding houses for vulnerable residents.

“There are many issues that we faced throughout the last five to six years, and I want to commend them for the work they have done — and the previous minister as well, because the government is a continuum,” he said.