SVG needs to build to acceptable standards, says Minister of Housing
THE Physical Planning Department is moving to address the use of substandard materials, particularly galvanize in the construction of houses across St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).
So said Minister of Works and Transport, Montgomery Daniel, while answering a question from Opposition Member of Parliament, Daniel Cummings on Thursday July 18, 2024.
In the lead in to the question, Cummings stated that many houses impacted by Hurricane Beryl lost their entire roof. Among other things, he wanted to know “what mechanisms are in place to ensure that these galvanize sheets imported into the country meet the standards for roofing materials?”
Responding, minister Daniel said that according to the building regulations of 2008, galvanize used for housing should be 24 gauge, having a thickness of 0.70 mm.
He however noted that there are cheaper galvanize on the local market, which do not meet the minimum standard of thickness.
Daniel, who is also responsible for the Physical Planning portfolio, said that consumers use these cheaper galvanize of 25 and 26 gauge to their own detriment.
“The issue is even greater, where unauthorized or informal human settlements develop, where building materials used are of a substandard nature,” Daniel pointed out. He also explained that the Building Regulations which were established in SVG in 2008 provide the necessary guidelines for the construction of homes across St Vincent and the Grenadines.
He said while many home owners are compliant with the regulations, there are persons who are not following the necessary guidelines and are building poor quality houses with sub-standard roofs.
He indicated that the Physical Planning Department has been having a constant fight over this matter to ensure that safe homes are being built all across St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Under the existing regulations, buildings should be designed to withstand winds of up to 111 miles per hour, or a Category 3 hurricane.
Daniel further said that the Physical Planning Department believes that “the time has come for urgent and immediate discussions” to be held on these matters with the relevant stakeholders. These include Standards Bureau, consumer protection agencies, suppliers and others.
In 2023, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) approved a new Building Code for use by its Member States. Minister Daniel said the CARICOM code seeks to ensure that buildings are resilient to a Category 5 hurricane.
On July 1, 2024, St Vincent and the Grenadines was impacted by Hurricane Beryl, a Category 4 system which lifted hundreds of roofs from houses, most of them in the southern Grenadines.
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