Mr. Dalvin “Din-Din” Callwood is the latest home owner under the Ministry of Health and Social Development’s Housing Recovery Assistance Programme.

Mr. Callwood, from Little Harbour Jost Van Dyke, was excited to be handed the keys to his studio unit home and expressed his appreciation to the ministry for making his dream of being a homeowner a reality.

“I feel very proud about my new home and I promise to take very good care of it. I feel happier than ever. Thanks to the minister and everybody for assisting me,” Mr. Callwood said.

Minister for Health and Social Development Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley levelled compliments to the Housing Unit in the ministry for putting in the work to ensure that residents in the Virgin Islands such as Mr. Callwood can afford a home.

Honourable Wheatley said, "We are six years out from Hurricane Irma but persons are still in recovery stages so to speak and I am very pleased to be able to continue this programme with the ministry. We currently have at least four homes under construction and we will strive to continue this programme for our residents who were displaced by the hurricanes. So, I am pleased we can hand over yet another house for 2023.”

Project Manager at Project Management and Construction Solutions Mr. Marquese Maduro expanded on the quality of the house built for Mr. Callwood noting that the structure is different from other houses built as part of the programme.

Mr. Maduro explained that the house is a wooded structure and the bathroom is made from concrete which also serves as a hurricane bunker in the event the Territory is impacted by any hurricanes.

"This is a true testament to the government trying to build better and more efficient and trying to protect the residents that are getting these homes. So hopefully in the future, if we have to withstand anything like Irma, more of our residents would be protected,” Mr. Maduro stated.

Representative of Construction Engineering Systems (B.V.I) Ltd. Mr. David Fonseca thanked the Ministry of Health and Social Development for providing their company the opportunity to construct a home for Mr. Callwood. Mr. Fonseca added that the company built the house in an efficient and safe style to withstand impacts from natural disasters.

More than 25 homes have been built and over 200 repaired since the inception of the Housing Recovery Assistance Programme.

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