The United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) has awarded New Zealand's Fletcher Construction a contract to rebuild 33 American Samoan homes destroyed in last year's earthquake and tsunami.Construction is expected to begin in late November
The United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) has awarded New Zealand's Fletcher Construction a contract to rebuild 33 American Samoan homes destroyed in last year's earthquake and tsunami.
Construction is expected to begin in late November and the homes should be completed in 10 months, Fema said in a statement.
The permanent housing programme was initially planned to include as many as 150 homes, but currently stands at 41 houses. Phase one required the construction of eight houses and preparation of 10 additional housing sites. Those homes are now occupied.
The final 33 to be built by the New Zealand company are phase two.
"This housing solution honours communal living conditions practised on the island, while meeting the long-term housing needs of families displaced by the tsunami," said the US regional administrator of relief efforts, Nancy Ward.
"The awarding of this contract brings us another step further in helping the people of American Samoa get back on their feet."
Fletcher Construction American Samoa is a part of the New Zealand company and has worked in the territory since 1979. After the September 29 tsunami and earthquake disaster, Fletcher Construction helped temporarily repair a bridge to Leone Village that was washed away. That temporary "fix" is still being used by villagers.
In New Zealand, Auckland-based Fletcher has been awarded a contract to repair 50,000 homes damaged in the September 4 Christchurch quake, work it estimated to be worth $1.2 billion.
Fletcher's American Samoa manager for the past 20 years, Dean Hudson, told SamoaNews.com that one of the arguments made for Fletcher to win the Christchurch contract was its experience in rebuilding after natual disasters through the Pacific.
"It was Fletcher's expertise at responding to natural disasters in the Pacific Islands which was one of the points put forward in our proposal," said Mr Hudson.
