English River home for the elderly gets new housing units and residents |14 December 2021
The residents receiving the keys to their new housing units (Photo: Jude Morel)
Four new residents received the keys to their brand new housing units at the English River Home for the Elderly yesterday afternoon, bringing the number of residents at the facility to 13.
The new residents, comprising three male senior citizens and one female, were presented with their keys and home warming presents during a brief ceremony attended by member of the National Assembly for the district Andy Labonté, principal secretary for Family Affairs Clive Roucou, director general for the elderly and the disabled Rosa Morin and director for the elderly Liza Cadeau.
Construction of the four adjoining units commenced around a year and a half ago, and was originally projected to be completed within eight to nine months. However, the pandemic has caused certain delays, although the project was realised under the originally estimated cost, as per PS Roucou.
“The project cost R2.2 million including the contractor fees and infrastructure and all. In fact, we made a savings of around R600,000 on the project, on account of the work intensity, and we did not encounter most of the issues we had foreseen. The contractors have also been very cooperative, so it all went well,” PS Roucou noted.
Home administrator Celine Baccus welcomed the residents, as did Hon. Labonté who presented the new residents and all others a donation of small home and self-care essential sponsored by his office, in collaboration with Avani Hotel. The assembly member also presented the home with a statue of the Virgin Mary to replace the broken one at the home, sponsored by his office.
Simone Victor was among the residents to be presented with her home after a 17-month wait. She said she is happy to finally have her own space, considering that where she was residing in the meantime was crowded, with shared facilities.
“I am very happy that I now have my home. I was sharing the kitchen and bathroom facilities before and with the pandemic it was not very suitable, but now I have my own space,” she said, as she toured the newly built facility.
