February 24^th, 2020 - Work commenced today on the reconstruction of houses for the first twenty beneficiaries under the European Union (EU) funded Housing Support to Barbuda project. Led by the Government of Antigua & Barbuda and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) the project aims to repair or rebuild 150 residential structures of the most vulnerable persons in Barbuda using the “Build Back Better” (BBB) approach.

On Monday 17 February 2020, UNDP, signed a contract with Harrigan Building Construction for commencement of the work on the 20 homes.Local contractors will soon be invited to submit bids for the remaining houses. The project will facilitate the return of displaced families following Hurricane Irma, increase the resilience of the community, and ultimately support the sustainable development of Barbuda.

Beneficiaries were selected by the Beneficiary Selection Committee (BSC) using criteria which placed emphasis on the most vulnerable households. Significant preparatory activities were advanced by UNDP in collaboration with ONAO prior to the start of construction.

The BSC comprises of officials from the following organisations: Office of the National Authorising Officer (ONAO), Barbuda Council, Development Control Authority (DCA), Public Works Department (PWD), National Office of Disaster Services (NODS), and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Barbuda Affairs. The UNDP serves as technical advisor to the BSC.

The project also includes the purchase of a shredder for debris management, capacity building, technical assistance, and greening through tree planting.