Previous Story
Concrete homes for low income families backed
|
Posted on Nov 16 2004
The 8th Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council is urging Gov. Juan N. Babauta and the Northern Marianas Housing Corp.’s board of directors to find means to assist low-income families construct homes made of concrete.
In a recently adopted resolution, council members said that the islands are frequently visited by tropical storms and typhoons. In the last eight months alone, the islands were devastated by Typhoon Tingting and Supertyphoon Chaba, with damages to government and private facilities estimated at over $20 million.
Supertyphoon Chaba knocked down telephone poles, trees, plants, and signboards, and sunk boats at the Saipan Seaport. The heavy downpour flooded roads, making them impassable. Rocks and sand carried by strong floodwaters also blocked Sugar King Road, while an overflowing Lake Susupe forced residents to flee their homes. The typhoon also caused other damage to properties.
Chaba also sent house rooftops flying, leaving many residents homeless. Many were forced to go to designated typhoon shelters—the Tanapag, Garapan, Oleai, San Vicente, William S. Reyes, Koblerville, Dandan, Kagman, and Tinian elementary schools; Marianas High School; Primary Building K and Secondary Building 1 of the Rota Aging Office and other undesignated typhoon shelters—because their houses were constructed of tin and wooden structures.
“The Marianas Public Land Trust Fund should be tapped to provide a fixed low interest rate loan to qualified low income families to construct their primary residences with concrete materials,” part of the resolution reads.
The resolution was certified by municipal council chair Gregorio V. Deleon Guerrero and vice chair David A. Indalecio and attested by secretary Antonia M. Tudela.
