Mr. Clinton -- the United Nations special envoy for Haiti -- and his delegation, arrived early Thursday for a two-day visit. The former president's agenda includes meetings with Prime Minister Michele Duvivier Pierre-Louis and President René Preval. Mr. Clinton was also delivering the keynote address at a conference of the Inter-American Development Bank
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091001/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_haiti_bill_clinton
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ReplyDeleteThursday, October 1, 2009
Former President Clinton, Trade Delegation in Haiti...
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The author, from Montréal of Haitian origin, graduate in Communication Sciences from the University of Montreal, explains here that the shortage of residences in Haiti is so serious that even Haitians of the Diaspora, generally more fortunate, who would like to return to the country or to go there for visit, cannot find there suitable housing.
HOUSING CRISIS IN HAITI
Following the voyage today October 1th, 2009 - as United Nations Envoy - of the Former President Bill CLinton in Haiti, many Haitians of the Diaspora propose to return in their native country where, among other challenges, the possibilities of comfortable dwellings do not fail to be lacking. But one expects that this housing crisis becomes even more alarming as political stability in Haiti settled and that more significant waves of wealthy Haitians, and North-American tourists will flow towards that country.
Dissatisfied market
Admittedly, Haïti is known as one of the poorest countries of the hemisphere. The great majority of the population can thus hardly hope, in the short or mid term, to be housed decently. There are, however, significant customers, financially sound, but who do not yet find an answer to their housing needs. For the North-American tourists, the hotel infrastructure, still very unsatisfactory, is more and more worsened by the complete absence of accommodations, requested by the people who want to take their family with them for vacation. Solution : the condominium.
Assets of Canada
In the field of the condo built on the tropical shores, Canadian successes, for a few years, have been recorded. The case of builders from Montreal is very significant. One of them, the Group Lépine, has built a whole complex of condominiums on the beaches of Florida. Known in Quebec particularly for its Pyramids of the Olympic Village, its Sanctuary of Mont-Royal, its Sir Robert Peel, its recent "1200 Ouest de Maisonneuve" and the "Sir George Simpson"- in Montreal - as well as its Laurier Tower in Ottawa it was, as well as others, spear heading that sector where Canadian builders followed the lead, its achievements having borne their fruits.
The Canadian expertise in that field is not any more to show and the capital is far from missing. Moreover, the market will certainly not fail to be extremely lucrative, the more so since the formula of the condo is not yet really established in Haïti.
In Haiti, the marvelous sites ready to accommodate the establishment of such projects are still very numerous. It is enough to think of the Anse d’Azur in Jérémie, of Kyona not far from Port-au-Prince or, towards "Montrouis" close to Saint-Marc, of that splendid white sand beach where the sunny sea so limpid and calm is called Amani-y-les bains! Moreover, labor is cheap there in this "Taiwan of the Caribbean", and local customers will without any doubt be interested in this type of dwelling, the condominium. In exchange, Haiti will be able to inherit housing complexes which adequately meet the needs of the tourists, as well as the needs of Haitians. Some people of the country will also be able to possibly profit from technical training in that sector.
Thus it appears clearly that there is an increased request for condos in Haïti, which waits to be satisfied only once political stability has been established. Canada seems to be best placed to meet such a need, provided that it does not remain eternally in a waiting mode, whereas the international competition is increasingly pressing. In this field, more than anywhere elsewhere, the co-operation between Canada and Haiti will not fail to be profitable for the two partners.
Lucien Bonnet
Pictures : Lucien Bonnet: LOUBONNET@Bell.net
SITE WEB: http://www.contact-canadahaiti.ca
Groupe Lepine’s Web site : www.groupelepine.com