Above: a home in the Mocca Housing Development

By the Caribbean Journal staff

St Lucia is making progress on the Mocca Housing Development in Soufriere, which aims to settle 16 families from Fond St Jacques displaced due to Hurricane Tomas in 2010.

Construction on the homes began in September 2011, financed by a $1 million grant from the Pinnacle Trust Company. The St Lucian government purchased 7.5 acres of land for the project.

The development is part of the government’s long-term plan to resettle those affected in Font St Jacques, which MP Harold Dalson said was still “very vulnerable” to natural disasters.

“As a government, we would as much as possible like to encourage residents of Fond St Jacques who would like to start their family home to ensure that they select an appropriate location which is not in a vulnerable area, so when we have heavy rains their houses will not be affected by landslides,” said Dalson, who represents the Soufriere/Fond St Jacques constituency.

The Mocca homes include two bedrooms, an indoor bathroom and the capability of being further upgraded by their new owners.

It was started by the administration of former Prime Minister Stephenson King, but Dalson said the government was “committed to continuing it.”

“The construction work is ongoing, and pretty soon, probably in the next couple of months, these houses will be available for residents to move in,” he said.