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Despite challenges with securing adequate qualified local contractors, the TCI government is keen to move forward with the highly anticipated Home Improvement Programme in short order.

Although the programme which is expected to finance repairs for hundreds of homeowners has hit a snag, the Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development Hon Jamell Robinson is optimistic that the initiative will soon progress.

In a previous issue, this publication reported that the government is experiencing challenges finding suitably qualified local contractors to kick-start the programme, which is a critical component of its new National Housing Policy.

The home improvement initiative seeks to offer homeowners financial assistance up to $50,000 to refurbish storm-battered homes across the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The interest from the local contractor pool, however, has been dismal from the onset, and only a handful have registered despite ongoing efforts from the ministry.

Minister Robinson, nevertheless, is determined to not allow these setbacks to derail the success of the programme.

In an interview with the Weekly News, Robinson acknowledged that the government s stringent prequalification criteria for contractors could be at the root of the problem.

Along with a team from his ministry, Robinson has endeavoured to remedy these issues through a series of town hall meetings across the islands, aimed at encouraging and educating contractors on the contract and tender process.

He said:  I think it was a great initiative and a good idea to do because unfortunately sometimes when you look at the volume of the paperwork that comes with capital projects, it could be a bit daunting, once we found out that the number of applicants which was five initially. I knew we had to send it back out, because five people can’t do the level of work we need to get done.

And then on top of that, we didn’t have any persons that qualified, so of course we had to send that back out, so it was important I admit it could look daunting to persons who are not familiar with capital projects, and in the swing of things.

So I said to Director [Mike] Clerveaux in the new year, we need to do a series of town halls to ensure that the contractors have an opportunity to ask any questions they may have about the paperwork and that’s how it came about.

Minister Robinson emphasised that the objective of the meetings was to ensure that every Turks and Caicos contractor who is interested in the programme is given a fair opportunity to submit their applications.

He added:  So, at least from our standpoint, we would have given every contractor every opportunity to succeed and be a part of the framework agreement.

I think it was a great success, and I think any contractor would have been a part of the sessions they could tell you how good the presentations were by team and how thorough and forthright we were about the programme and what we intend to achieve.

Necessary Standards

The Infrastructure Minister underscored that while some may suggest the government should relax its requirements to accommodate contractors on all levels, it is still critical for the government to maintain standards to ensure value for money and the delivery of quality work.

He said:  We understand this might be hard, but the saying goes  the harder the work, the sweeter the reward  so think about all the sweet rewards, about the potential of the work that could be potentially improved as we go through the batches.

Robinson revealed that the budget for the Home Improvement Programme is projected at upwards of $16.6m based on the number of applications received.

It’s a lot of work because there’s a lot of people that need a lot of help, they just haven’t been able to help themselves as yet.

So whatever we can do to ensure that we make the funds available to do the work but also we have to prepare contractors to be able to go into people’s homes and do the work , he added.

The Minister further pointed out that contractors were also made aware of the sensitive interface approach required to complete projects of this nature.

He said:  Because when they ask us what all of this is about, they have to understand that you’re talking about going into someone’s home while they’re living there, this is a very personal experience, this isn’t like you re building a new house or building something that someone isn’t occupying,  you’re entering this person s personal space.

So it is our duty as the government and as a department and as a ministry to ensure we get the best qualified and best quality and practice possible to do these works, so we want as many contractors to qualify, but we also want to make sure that is a certain standard that is being met.

To date, the Ministry has received some 332 applications, vetted 60 applications, and approved 39.

We’re gonna start another set of home inspections, I believe on the 22nd for the next batch, and we’ll just keep on rotating, so persons are eagerly waiting for this to start.

Robinson emphasised that the project will move forward with approved contractors at the end of the process.

The first batch of home improvement works, totalling $1,950,000 was approved by the Housing Committee in December.

The committee announced that on December 7, 2023, it concluded its deliberations on the first batch of applicants who submitted for home improvement under Programme Two.

Out of the 12 batches of applicants, the initial group has been approved for home improvement works, marking a significant step in enhancing the living conditions of homes across the TCI.

The approved applicants were drawn from Grand Turk, South Caicos, North Caicos, Providenciales, Salt Cay, and Middle Caicos.

The approved works are expected to generate numerous job opportunities throughout the islands, contributing to economic growth.