Sustainability Housing for Internally-Displaced Populations (Haiti)

About Solution

Peacebuilding Solutions (PS) is committed to designing and implementing solutions for refugee and Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs) that will foster empowerment and sustainability in innovative ways. Built on a foundation of research:

  • Interventions are created which are based 100% on community leader, and member, input. Research aims to identify needs and support autonomy through collective action and sustainable decision-making.

  • Supplies are acquired locally to support small-scale, locally-owned businesses providing an economical boost while eliminating shipping costs that can be redirected toward necessary aid.

  • Associated labor will provide fair-wage, employment opportunities for community members.

Based on the need for permanent housing, Peacebuilding Solutions developed the Gressier Sustainability Housing for Internally-Displaced Populations Project (SHIPP) in 2019. The purpose of the project is to focus on permanent resettlement of the Lumière de Jeunes (LJ) community, an IDP community located 13 miles from Port-Au-Prince in Gressier, Haiti, from currently squatted land eliminating their IDP status.

The LJ community has been living in very precarious conditions since they were displaced by the 2010 earthquake. Their houses are tarp/tent structures that degrade within a year. Associated infrastructure problems also include water distribution and filtration issues and lack of sanitation systems. Moreover, the LJ community continuously faces the risk of eviction as they are settled on private land. Consequently, the current standard of living contributes to exposure to illness, the spread of disease, and death.

Peacebuilding Solutions has been instrumental in the acquisition of land from the local government in Gressier providing a unique opportunity for collaborative resettlement with an unnamed IDP community. Resettlement offers a foundation for sustainable outcomes and self-sufficiency without the threat of eviction or exposure to risks associated with current living standards..

To support the community beyond resettlement, members of the community will assist in the construction of houses and the safety wall, and assist in research methods such as language interpretation and census collection. All community workers will be paid fair-wage for their contributions to the approach to contribute to the economic development of the community. As the long-term goal is to empower and transition the LJ community to its members, community members are the most valuable asset to their own individual and community success.This project was developed after continued discussions between Peacebuilding Solutions leadership, the Lumière de Jeune Community, and the local Haitian government in Gressier, Haiti with emphasis on improved outcomes for the community, and city of Gressier.

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