In a landmark handover ceremony held earlier this week, 16 residents of Dominica’s Woodford Hill community took possession of new, climate-resilient homes, with government officials confirming that official property titles will be issued to the beneficiaries in the near future.
Speaking at the event, Housing Minister Melissa Poponne-Skerrit urged the new homeowners to build collaborative, thriving communities in their updated neighborhood, while highlighting the robust engineering behind the units. Each home is built to withstand Category 5 hurricanes, designed to hold up against the intensifying extreme weather events driven by climate change. Poponne-Skerrit noted that unlike many older structures across the hurricane-prone island, these new homes will eliminate the constant fear of storm damage for residents, allowing them to remain safe and secure even as severe weather passes through the region.
Beyond immediate shelter, the minister emphasized that the homes represent far more than just a place to live. Each property is currently valued at approximately $450,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars, and is expected to appreciate in value over time, creating a lasting tangible asset for beneficiary families. This asset can also be inherited by future generations, creating intergenerational wealth stability that extends far beyond the current group of homeowners.
Acting Prime Minister Roland Royer used the handover ceremony as an opportunity to tie the local housing initiative to Dominica’s largest ever infrastructure investment: the construction of a new international airport in nearby Wesley. Royer explained that the housing development in Woodford Hill, Wesley and surrounding communities is intentionally aligned with the airport project, which is set to bring widespread economic opportunity to the entire region once operational.
When the airport opens, Royer said it will require hundreds of full- and part-time workers to support daily operations, spanning a wide range of roles. These include on-airport positions such as customer service representatives, security officers, baggage handlers, ground crew, cleaning staff, maintenance technicians, firefighters, drivers, administrative staff, IT specialists and traffic management personnel. Off-airport opportunities will also boom, he added, with growing demand for taxi drivers to transport visitors, local farmers to supply fresh produce to expanding hotels and restaurants, and fishers to supply fresh seafood to local hospitality businesses.
The Woodford Hill housing project falls under the Dominican government’s national resilient housing initiative, which carries the slogan “Building Homes, Strengthening Communities and Transforming Lives.” The broader program is a core component of the country’s long-term climate adaptation and post-disaster recovery strategy, with an overarching goal of delivering 5,000 hurricane-resilient homes to families across the island by the completion of the initiative.