Reconstruction efforts; Will bring new industries, thousands of jobs to country: former U.S. president.
Former United States president and special United Nations envoy Bill Clinton (left) confers with Haitian President Michel Martelly during the inauguration of a construction project of 400 houses for 400 families in Les Zoranger, north of Port-au-Prince on Wednesday.
Photograph by: THONY BELIZAIRE, AFP/Getty Images
ORANGIER, HAITI – Under the relentless sun of this desert region a few kilometres north of the teeming capital of Port-au-Prince, former U.S. president Bill Clinton helped launch a housing program Wednesday he said would help to house the hundreds of thousands of displaced by the earthquake and revitalize the economy of Haiti.
“When Mr. (Michel) Martelly was campaigning to become president . he said every family deserves strong, safe, affordable housing, and that we need to close the camps and open homes for the people of Haiti,” said Clinton, who is co-chairman of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission that is co-ordinating reconstruction efforts.
“What we saw at this housing exposition and with this housing project is that if we do this housing properly, it will lead to whole new industries being started in Haiti, creating thousands and thousands of new jobs and permanent housing. Which means there will many more people able to afford the new houses.”
An estimated 250,000 people were killed and 300,000 homes destroyed in the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit the Port-au-Prince region January 2010, leaving 1.5 million homeless. Eighteen months later, roughly 700,000 are still living in miserable tent camps, with nowhere to go.
Clinton spent the early afternoon touring the Building Back Better Communities exposition, a collection of about 40 different houses chosen through a worldwide competition that had nearly 400 candidates. Houses had to be earthquake proof, capable of sustaining hurricaneforce winds and affordable. Made of steel, stryrofoam, cinder blocks and concrete, among other designs, the houses were between 300 and 700 square feet, with price tags ranging from $10,000 to $35,000. Most could be built in a matter of days and are supposed to last at least 70 years.
Accompanied by newly elected President Martelly (wearing a baseball cap, “Prezidan” emblazoned on the front) and a throng of hundreds of Haitians, Clinton visited several of the homes and chatted with developers about technical specifications and lengthy delays getting supplies through Haitian customs despite the fact they were providing homes for a program run by the Haitian government.
Also at Wednesday’s conference, it was announced the government was embarking on its “400 pou 100” program, with the goal of building 400 homes in 100 days in suburbs of Port au Prince, at a cost of $30 million supplied by the Interamerican Development Bank. Martelly promised the communities would include opportunities for people to create businesses, addressing criticism of his government’s housing plan by aids groups that say it too often displaces city residents to far-flung areas with no jobs or services.
rbruemmer@ montrealgazette.com
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COMMENT: HAITIAN-TRUTH.ORG
Still smoke and mirrors until something really gets underway and people are actually safe, with roofs over their heads. Otherwise, it is just another media opportunity for Clinton.
January 12, 2010 is a long way behind us and nothing has really happened in Haiti.
Hundreds of thousands are still hiding from reality under tarps provided by USAID, Canada and others…the names fading from material that is now frayed, allowing torrential rains to flood interiors.
Cholera is an accelerating threat.
Senator Lambert opens the gate to let the Justice system to start moving the block. The criminal does always something against himself.None could not gain benefit from his own mistakes.As a long time professional in investigation, I think that Senator Joseph Lambert, as an official,has a lot to say about that crime.As a leader of a strong political party which is responsible for the insecurity for many years in Haiti must be available to answer any questions about this situation.
Two facts keep my attetion about Senator Joseph Lambert this week: He says that, abouy the ratification that his party will not vote positively or negatively for Rouzier and his party will not be part of the new government.
We better think twice about the change of political tactics from Inite.Now, because he states that, he condamns the chief of staff of the republic president about the crime, this another step to consider in the process of the investigations related to this crime.
Why senator Lambert propse that they hire an International firm to investigate the crime? What does he hnow about that?
Lambert must be call to provide more and more about what he is talking about.
He did not say nothing about the murdering of Marcellot.He keep his mouth shut about the revelations of Amaral Ducloma regarding Preval and Celestin.He did not say nothing about the case of murdering of Jean Dominique.So what his interest or degree of involving in this particular case?
Give me one week and I will give the answers on this site.
I think that , here is a real opprtunity to solve the insecurity matter in Haiti for ever.
Senate Joseph Lambert konnen sous ensekirite ki pote Guito Tousaaaint ale nan peyi san chapo a.Se Lambert menm ki klowe tet li.Komise Gouvenman an dwe rele ;ambert byen vit pou vin fe lalimye sou ka asasinay sa a.
Lajistis dwe mande pou leve iminite palmante Senate a pou li kapab aladispozisyon li pou anket.Lambert vann tet li. Si nou analize tout deklarasyon ke senate Moise Jean Charles yo,deklarasyon senate Jocelerme Privert yo,deklarasyon potpawol Fanmi Lavalas Branch Aristide la so dosye retire ajan sekirite Titid ak preval yo, zafe retire machin blende anba bouda chef gang entenasyonal sa yo, ebyen nou va konprann pibyen dekisa Lambert ap pale andaki la a.
Fok nou pa bliye ke chef avi Fanmi Lavalas la genyen gwo koneksyon avek mafya entenasyonal ke Lambert ap pale la a. Pa bliye ke chef avi Fanmi Lavalas la te odone chef gang Potoprens li yo pou yo te fe Operasyon Bagdad epi yo te koupe tet preske 50 polisye? Pa bliye maryaj Pati Lespwa Preval-Alexis-Lambert a avek chef gang Operasyon Bagdad yo ki te monte nan Lotel Montana pou t al benyen nan pisin yo?
Mezanmi,bagay sa a, se pa yon jwet tande.Sa a, se yon avetisman byen kle ke Inite-Fanmi Lavalas voye bay ekip Martelly a tande.Neg yo pap jwe tande.
Pa bliye Komando ” Fe koupe Fe ansyen senate-minis Paul Denis a tande. Pa bliye ke Paul Denis te deklare ke li pral montre kominote entenasyonal la ke genyen fanm ak gason nan peyi a tande.
Mezanmi, bagay la konplike.
Martelly, eske w konnen nan ki kanaval dtaz wa P PATISIPE LA A?
Daye, ou deja antoure avek anpil kolaborate ki pa two fidel.
Martelly, pa bliye nan politik” Ki trayi, trayira”?
Alo, konprann ke jwet la make san tande.
Pawol Senate Lambert yo pa pou gran mesi tande.
Se toujou apre reyinyon ak konsetasyon ke senate Joseph Lambert toujou kontakte Lapres pou li fe deklarasyon tande.
Lambert yo pa timoun piti, yo chaje avek bakop tande.
400 houses at the cost of 30m millions dollars turns out to be 75 thousand per unit. these people are going to live in a mansion? I don’t think so
If these people were not idiot, then they would realize that we could build decent modern apartment blocks at 7 thousand per unit which means that we could have 4000 apartment units for the same 30 million dollars.
Now who are these people making these decisions?