Two new homeowners, Miss Tameka Johnson and Miss Brenda Herman, received the keys to their homes as part of the Government of the Virgin Islands Housing Recovery Assistance Programme.

The keys were handed over to the homeowners by Minister for Health and Social Development Honourable Marlon A. Penn on Monday, March 27 in Sea Cow’s Bay and Zion Hill respectively. 

Miss Johnson’s home was built by K&C Construction while Miss Herman’s home was constructed by Building Construction Management Group Ltd.

Honourable Marlon Penn said he knows it is a dream for many Virgin Islanders to own their own home but he also understands the difficult journey that many face.

The Housing Recovery Assistance Programme started after the passage of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. The goal was to rebuild and repair the houses of the residents impacted. Honourable Penn noted that Miss Johnson and Miss Herman are among the fortunate persons to be a part of the process.

 “We intend to continue this process moving forward. We want to commend everyone involved in the process, the contractors, the ministry, the minister before me and all the people who worked to make this process a reality,” the Minister said. He added, “Government is a continuum and once there are initiatives that are good for the people and good for the Territory we need to continue.” 

Honourable Penn said he believed the housing programme is one of those good initiatives that must be continued to ensure more persons get the opportunity to get a piece of the VI dream, own a home in the Territory and be able to provide sustainably for themselves and their families. He also encouraged persons to apply and go through the process as the Government builds structures to help persons own a home in the VI.

Homeowner Miss Johnson said she was grateful for receiving the new home while she was at one of the lowest points in my life while. Miss Herman also expressed gratitude for her my home after going back and forth between places.

Over 20 social homes have been built while over 200 homes have been repaired since the commencement of the programme. Currently, eight social home projects are at various stages of the public tendering process.

The Ministry of Health and Social Development is committed to improving the health and well-being of the people of the Virgin Islands.