Work starts on Long Look social home complex

Construction has begun on the Long Look social home complex, a government initiative that leaders say will provide supervised accommodation and support services for some of the territory’s most vulnerable residents.

During a recent site visit, Health and Social Development Minister Vincent Wheatley described the facility as a practical response to homelessness and an investment in social wellbeing, according to a government press release.

“This centre will serve several functions, but at its core it provides something very basic and very necessary: a safe place to sleep,” he reportedly said during the visit, to which the media was not invited. “It will operate as a supervised facility working alongside the Safe Haven Transitional Centre to provide temporary accommodations to the vulnerable coupled with structured support programmes to assist their transition back to independent living.”

$1.72m contract

The project is being constructed in the heart of the Long Look community by Island Concrete Limited, which received a $1.72 million contract signed last November. It is expected to be completed by December 2026, according to government.

Mr. Wheatley said the development has already generated local employment and was designed with sustainability in mind, operating fully on solar and battery power.

“This project has brought local men and women into employment and reflects our commitment to sustainable development,” he said, adding, “While the idea is not new, what matters is that it is now being properly funded, delivered and implemented in a way that benefits the entire community.”

Premier Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley, who represents much of Long Look in the House of Assembly, said the project is part of broader social reforms.

“It reflects how we choose to treat those who may be experiencing hardship and vulnerability,” he said.

The location of the facility, he added, holds special significance.

“Long Look is a historic community with a proud and resilient spirit,” he said. “Long Look has always blazed the trail, and having the first facility of its kind here means a great deal. It also matters that people from the community are helping to build it, because we want them to take ownership, help maintain it, and ensure it remains a place of dignity and care.”

Education, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Sharie de Castro said the home will help residents who experience difficulties through “no fault of their own.”

“This facility provides a doorway back to stability and opportunity,” she said.

Island Concrete Managing Director Dion Crabbe said during the contract-signing last November that his company is committed to completing the project on time and on budget while involving residents of Long Look in the building process.