“She was one of the most dangerous hurricanes I’d ever seen in 57 years,” said new homeowner, Esther-Ann Cornish-Laing, after being displaced by Hurricane Dorian some two years ago.
Tucked away in Blackwood, Abaco, Esther-Ann’s generational home, like thousands of others in Abaco, was swept away by a towering surge in September 2019 during a tormenting Category 5 hurricane.
She, and her family of five, are the first of 100 homeowners in The Bahamas to receive a new home, affectionately dubbed the ‘Bahama House.’ These homes will be donated to families, who lost their homes due to Hurricane Dorian. Cornish-Laing’s 1,250 sq. ft. home is wind tested to withstand a Category 5 hurricane. It was built on the original grounds of her childhood home, where her brothers are her neighbors.
“This is amazing,” said Cornish-Laing about her new home, which was donated by the Beck Foundation, the charitable branch of The Beck Group.
According to Beck Group CEO, Fred Perpall, a Bahamian, he took the hurricane relief efforts personally.
“Like many Bahamians (living) abroad, my heart sank when I saw the events of Dorian. We were not only concerned, but we cared deeply,” Perpall said. “We wanted to help, and we knew that help would be needed most long after the storm had passed… to truly restore a community takes a lot of effort long after the storm has passed.”
The Beck Group partnered with The Bahamas Government, with the assistance of U.S.-based and Bahamian companies, to build and then transport the prefabricated, cost-effective home to Abaco. About 80 percent of the construction was completed in an assembly line process in a warehouse in Dallas, Texas. It was transported from West Palm Beach to New Providence, then to Abaco, and later installed by Bahamian laborers.
It was important to provide employment for Bahamians while gifting the Laing family with a home, said Mark House, Special Projects Director at The Beck Group.
“We purposely did not want to fully complete the house, because, on the other end, there is an economic aspect of it. We want to be able to provide employment for folks,” House said. “So, now we’re creating jobs with a great return.”
Despite setbacks associated with COVID-19, The Beck Group and The Bahamas Government are confident to houses to more deserving families this year—1 down, 99 houses to go.
