By Val Matthias. Updated 8:12 p.m., Monday, September 7, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Residents of Union Island displaced by Hurricane Beryl and facing uncertainty over their temporary accommodation on mainland St Vincent have been granted a further three months of housing.
The extension follows concerns that some displaced families could be left without accommodation after receiving notices to leave the guest houses where they had been staying.
Parliamentary Representative for the Southern Grenadines, Terrance Ollivierre, confirmed the extension while speaking to SVGTV News on Union Island.
Mr Ollivierre said a number of people displaced by Hurricane Beryl were still living in temporary accommodation on mainland St Vincent while efforts continued to rebuild homes and allow families to return to Union Island.
He said arrangements had to be made over the weekend to move some residents from one guest house to another.
According to the Minister, the new accommodation was secured on favourable terms and would provide shelter for at least another three months while work continued on housing. The development comes after reports last week of growing anxiety among displaced residents over the expiry of notices requiring them to leave their accommodation.
Some residents said they had nowhere else to go, despite being displaced since Hurricane Beryl devastated Union Island and other parts of the Southern Grenadines more than two years ago.
Mr Ollivierre said the Government had not abandoned the affected residents.
“We cannot abandon the people and we cannot leave them alone,” he said.
He said he had worked alongside the Minister of Housing and the Minister of Tourism over the weekend to find alternative accommodation for residents who needed to be moved.
Mr Ollivierre said rebuilding work was continuing onUnion Island, with some houses already under construction and others scheduled to begin soon.
However, he acknowledged that more housing was needed.
He said the Government was exploring the possibility of acquiring land for further development and was in discussions with someone who might be willing to sell land.
The Government is also considering additional prefabricated houses, while other homes are being constructed through collaboration involving the Government and a private company. Mr Ollivierre said the aim was to move displaced residents out of temporary accommodation and back into permanent homes on Union Island.
For now, the additional three months offers relief to families who had been facing the prospect of losing their accommodation.
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