Infrastructure Fact Sheet: Support for Caracol EKAM (2015)

Overview 

USAID financed the construction of 750 housing units at Caracol-EKAM in the north of Haiti, completed in 2013, to support efforts by the Government of Haiti (GOH) to provide affordable housing opportunities for families displaced by the 2010 earthquake and other vulnerable households. The development is one of several housing settlements for which USAID has partnered with the GOH and other sponsors to promote housing opportunities in proximity to employment as well as social and transportation hubs.  The project has involved close consultation with stakeholders, including community members, local mayors, and GOH housing agencies.
 
The Caracol-EKAM settlement is located in Haiti’s northern corridor near the Caracol Industrial Park (CIP).  It is also near the 10-megawatt power plant financed by USAID.  Constructing the settlement in this strategic location served to realize multiple development objectives of the GOH and the U.S. Government.  Such combined investment promises to increase economic prosperity for Haitians by providing housing with security of tenure; access to water, sanitation, and electricity; and access to increased prospects for employment and economic growth spurred by the CIP.  
 

Objectives

The Caracol-EKAM project aims to provide a culturally appropriate, modest dwelling with piped water, modern sanitation, and 24/7 electricity, as well as community development.  The homes, made from locally available materials, can easily be repaired and/or expanded.

Activities

  • Site development for housing plots, including design and layout of roads, footpaths, water distribution systems, drainage, and sanitation solutions.
  • To address natural disaster concerns, the 750 houses are designed to International Building Code earthquake and hurricane safety standards, and constructed with reinforced concrete masonry. 
  • Community development support for the new households and existing residents of the area, including community engagement, governance, and livelihoods activities to help ensure that the new settlement is a vibrant, sustainable community.

Results 

  • A two-year community development program is enabling social integration, economic opportunities, and sustainable community management by supporting:
    • Beneficiary sensitization and move‐in; 
    • Social and economic support activities; 
    • Support of day‐to‐day site management; 
    • Operational and technical assistance to GOH entities engaged with the site, including the Government’s Entreprise Publique de Promotion de Logements Sociaux (EPPLS) unit; and
    • Governance/community relations.
  • Lease-to-own contracts will ensure security of tenure.
  • A partner-financed on-site school opened in October 2013.

Additional Program Information

Budget: $31.5 million (design and construction); $1.5 million 
(community development)
Life of Project: June 2011-October 2013 (design and construction); August 2013-August 2015 (community development)
Implementing Partners: CEEPCO Contracting, THOR Construction, and Global Communities