The National Assembly Committee on Government Assurances (COGA) chaired by Hon. Sylvanne Lemiel, conducted a thorough inspection of the 19 emergency homes at Ile Aurore during their site visit on Friday 24th May 2024. The 19 units constructed in 2022 are primarily intended for emergency accommodation, serving as temporary housing for victims of disasters. These units are allocated by the Ministry of Local Government based on requests from district administrations.
The purpose of the visit was to assess the overall conditions and suitability of the emergency homes which included verifying the effective implementation of these projects and to evaluate the implementation of the ongoing project considering the assurances provided by the Minister during a session in the National Assembly. Alongside the 19 existing homes, the Committee also assessed the advancement of the construction of four extra houses aimed at expanding the capacity of emergency housing, which is expected to be completed by July 2024. Once these units are ready, tenants currently housed in private accommodations, such as the Reef Apartments, will be relocated to the new units at Ile Aurore. Some tenants have been residing in these units for up to two years, despite the intended use as short-term transit accommodation. The Committee commends the efforts of the Ministries in addressing emergency housing needs and urges continued focus on timely project completion and the provision of permanent housing solutions for long-term occupants. In addition to that, COGA will continue to monitor the progress of these initiatives to ensure that emergency housing remains effective and responsive to the needs of the community.
The visit was led by the Chairperson Hon. Sylvanne Lemiel, together with the Vice- Chairperson Hon. Norbert Loizeau, and other Members of the Committee, Hon. Desheila Bastienne and Hon. Richard Labrosse. Mr. Billy Rangasamy, the Minister for Lands and Housing, was accompanied by delegates from the Property Management Corporation (PMC) and the Seychelles Infrastructure Agency (SIA).
