Housing Minister pushes back against criticisms that Venezuelan Petro Casas Houses are inferior

​Chairman of the Resettlement Ministerial committee, Dominica's Housing Minister Reginald Austrie is pushing back against criticisms that the Petro Casas Houses donated by the Venezuelan Government, are inferior to traditional Dominican concrete houses.
 
Following the passage of TS Erika, the Venezuelan government donated 300 houses to Dominica for persons who were displaced, due to the storm. Petro Casas are Venezuelan family houses, built in mass production, and are largely used in rural areas under the South American Country's public housing program.
 
They are made from PVC materials produced by the country's oil industry, hence the name Petro Casas or Oil Houses, and they can be built in 10 -12 days. Addressing a cabinet meeting with displaced Petite Savanne residents on Monday evening, Austrie said government was satisfied with the quality of the Petro Casas homes.

​Since the passage of Erika in August 2015, government has erected 50 of these houses for displaced Dubique families, and is now in the process of erecting homes for over 191 Petite Savanne families.
 
Austrie says work has started on erecting Petro Casas houses for displaced Petite Savanne residents, and expects 44 of these houses will be erected by December 2016.

​Chairman of the Resettlement Ministerial committee and Dominica's Housing Minister Reginald Austrie.