CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – The St. Lucia-based Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission says it has initiated discussions with two financial institutions towards establishing a Regional Operation for Advancing Housing Resilience in the Caribbean.
The OECS Commission said that the discussions are taking place with the Washington-based Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).
“This initiative aims to strengthen the resilience of existing housing stock across the OECS, addressing vulnerabilities that have left communities exposed to disasters, costing the Caribbean more than US$22 billion between 1950 and 2016,” the Commission said in a statement.
It said that the operation will prioritise retrofitting homes and community infrastructure, drawing on regional standards such as the CARICOM Hurricane Resilient Construction Code and the Barbados Retrofit Policy Manual.
Successful models, including Trinidad and Tobago’s Housing Development Inspectors who guided upgrades for 3,500 households, demonstrate how resilience can be scaled across diverse contexts, the statement noted.
It said during the meeting, the partners agreed that the programme will be structured as an investment loan under a Global Credit Programme, with CDB serving as the executing agency for OECS member states.
“The scope will extend beyond individual houses to include slope stabilisation, improved access, and recreational spaces, ensuring that resilience is embedded not only in homes but in the wider community fabric.”
The OECS Commission said it is expected to be invited to a meeting in Barbados from December 3-5, bringing together Caribbean Ministers for Housing and Urban Development to refine the implementation framework.
“The initiative marks an important step in safeguarding communities and embedding resilience at the core of regional development,” it added.
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