Above: the new community in Zoranje (Photo: OP)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Haitian President inaugurated a new community of 400 homes in the city of Zoranje on Monday.

The project, which was financed with $30 million from the Inter-American Development Bank, aimed to relocate low-income families affected by the earthquake in January 2010.

The initiative is a partnership between the Haitian government and the Inter-American Development Bank.

It was launched in June in a ceremony with former US President Bill Clinton, former Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellrive and Martelly.

A second phase, which will include 600 housing units, is planned in the town of Fort Liberte, with a third envisioned for the southern portion of the country.

The homes are not free; they are subsidized rentals. Martelly said he planned to eventually expand the programme.

The community’s new residents were previously living as refugees in temporary housing.

“You have to see every house as an opportunity to improve the conditions of each family,” said Eduardo Almeida, the IDB’s representative in Haiti.