Sophia Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme to Cost US$ 7.5 M -CEO

Aug 17, 2019 News

The Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme that is being implemented in Sophia is estimated to cost just about US $7.5 million.
At a tour to give the media an idea about the upgrades, under the project at ‘B’ Field Sophia, yesterday morning, Lelon Saul, Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) said that “Under the Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme, we would be spending approximately US$7.5 million here in Sophia.
“Basically what we are doing, we will be upgrading approximately 12 km of roads to asphaltic and concrete.”
He further noted that the CH&PA is in the process of upgrading the drains from earth to concrete. In addition to these improvements 2000 residents will benefit from home improvement subsidies, as well as there are provisions for 100 core houses to be built.
“In 2019 the process to construct 50 core houses will commence and 300 home improvements subsidies distributions.”
Deputy Director of Community Development Donnell Bess-Bascom said, “So under the Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme, in the Sophia area Constituency five and six, Sophia as CEO mentioned we will be having a total of 50 core houses commence construction in 2019.”
She went on to say that the disbursement of the 300 home improvement subsidies has already commenced and 456 house-to-house verifications were done to determine those eligible for home improvements and 87 were done to determine those eligible for the core homes.
They are currently in the process of having the beneficiaries selected, and that is at the step where the individual profiles are being prepared for each of the persons that scored above 100. Then they would move to the lower scores depending on how many qualified.
This selection should be concluded by the end of August or mid-September and the persons will be notified of the result of their application. So far since the initiative was put out everything is going to plan and they are on the right track.
Bascom went on to explain that “Another part of the project that I think is important to [highlight] is the extensive community participation that is being emphasized under this particular programme.
“The community leaders across Sophia have been part of the entire process from the very beginning. As a matter of fact they have even influenced what was outlined in the operating manual for the programme.”
Omar Narine, Director of Projects said, “Currently we have six contractors and we are currently executing several infrastructural development work; asphaltic roads, concrete drains, concrete walkways and some other civil works.”
He went on to say that they are also upgrading 10 access bridges. All of the six contractors were selected through the national process and there is $857M worth in contracts currently being executed.
The original contract deadline is March 10, 2020, however four of the six contracts are scheduled to be completed in November.
This is only the first phase of work as there are other projects that will have to be executed. They include 12km of roads that should be going to tender in about three weeks’ time.
Prequalification is currently being done for the construction of the core houses and contractors from the area are encouraged to elevate themselves and meet the requirements to pre-qualify.
Things are looking up for the Sophia community and the works are swiftly being carried out. In addition to all the road works a number of culverts were rebuilt and the small business squatting at the corner of one street, the owner will be given a mobile unit so that he continues to make his daily bread as the culvert is rebuilt and the street is upgraded.

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