With a starting point of over 300 housing repairs and further requests coming in Resilience Cayman is feeling the pressure of the magnitude of aid needed in the Cayman community.
Jan Gupta, Resilience Cayman director, says it will take more hands on deck from the local business community to make a serious dent in the number of homes needing support for repairs.
Resilience Cayman, she said, has “actioned” repairs on 116 homes.
However, just one month away from the most active period of the hurricane season, Gupta said the time is now for corporate and private citizens to help.
“I think what’s been a real eye opener for me as I walk into these homes, is to really see the extent of the need and the damage and the precarious situation that many families are living in that’s made worse by every storm season.
“I’d like to put out an appeal. We have partnered with various private organisations in the past on the food assistance side and so we would be very appreciative of any corporate or private organisations that want to step forward,” Gupta said in a recent interview with the Cayman Compass.
The need is great
Though Social Development Minister André Ebanks has said the demand for assistance is great in West Bay, with the lion’s share of last year’s projects under the programme targeting communities in that district, Resilience Cayman statistics show there was an even greater need in Bodden Town. However, Gupta said, the projects her organisation is working on “reflect a similar proportion by district”.
Out of 338 homes requiring repair assistance, 145 (43% of the total) from Bodden Town have applied for help, 113 (33%) from West Bay, 33 (10%) from East End, 26 (8%) from North Side and 21 (6%) from George Town, Gupta said.
She said financial support is welcomed, but her team is seeking tangible donations to fulfil the non-profit’s mandate given through is partnership with government and the R3 Foundation.
“I am making an appeal for more donations, specifically for the housing programme, from the private sector for funds, materials, resources, and skilled estimators and tradespeople so that we can try to address the large backlog as quickly as possible as we approach the peak of this year’s storm season,” she said.
The non-profit, which was established during the pandemic, began by offering food support to those who found themselves in need when the borders closed, and expanded into a broader level of assistance.
Earlier this year, through funding from the R3 Foundation, Resilience Cayman started carrying the housing repair assistance programme and while her team is up to the task, Gupta said, the cases are growing.
“There’s a number of homes that are currently in progress, and there are a number of homes that are in the pipeline,” she said.
More funding required
Gupta said the initial $1.5 million funding that was given to Resilience Cayman for the projects is running low and soon more funding will be necessary.
So far, about $1 million out of the total funding has been spent on various projects.
The next step, she said, will be to get another grant to be able to continue the work.
She said the programme is fully auditable and assessors inspect each home before work begins.
“You want to make sure that the process is accountable, that there is an audit trail, that the money is being accounted for and the work is being accounted for. We have gone out to the contractors and also received written bids from them for each of these jobs, and had a competitive bidding process for every job that has been awarded… orchestrating all of that takes a lot of resources,” she said.
Gupta said a large majority of the 116 homes that have received assistance had roofs repaired.
“There has been mould remediation as well. Largely that’s what we are seeing… structural and roof issues,” she explained, adding that out of the total portfolio of homes there are 222 for which resources are being assigned, not just from a financial standpoint but also to assess what level of repair is needed.
The projects, she said, are making an impact.
Relatives of Eileen Smith, whose West Bay home was repaired, welcomed the assistance.
“My mother is elderly and has limited mobility. The addition of new handrails to the bathrooms helps her not to fall and the replacement of the damaged ACs with new ones helps her with her quality of life. The roof is no longer leaking and once additional screws are used to secure the roof, she will feel safer with the storm season,” the family said through a statement.
For Bodden Town resident Sheila Henry, having her aunt’s home repaired took away a worry this hurricane season.
“My aunt is 105 and the windows in her room were old and leaking, and also not allowing the room the keep cool. Roof leaks were also causing mould and affecting our health. The repairs have fixed all of these issues,” she said in a statement.
She said she was grateful to the Resilience Cayman team for the assistance.
“The team has been very caring, thoughtful, responsive and efficient in getting the repairs done. Resilience has communicated very well to ensure I knew what to expect. I more than appreciate what you have done for my aunt and I. Words are not enough,” she added.
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