HAITIAN COMPANY BUILDING PERMANENT HOMES AT TRANSITIONAL HOME PRICES

PermaShelter Offers Permanent Homes for Haiti from $1,695

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) February 28, 2011 --FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 23, 2010 – The housing reconstruction plan in Haiti is built upon a three phase model: Temporary, Transitional, and Permanent. The first step is to get some sort of roof over everyone’s head immediately following a major disaster, such as the January 2010 earthquake that left over a million people homeless. The second step is to put up transitional shelters (t-shelters) which are generally made from 2x4 lumber with metal roofs and are clad in plywood or plastic. The final phase involves building permanent homes.

PermaShelter, S.A., a Haitian subsidiary of Harbor Homes, LLC—a major provider of disaster housing in the U.S. for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—has developed an innovative hybrid solution that accomplishes the objectives of the final two phases at a fraction of the price. Using a strong tubular metal frame, metal roofing, and fiber cement board siding, PermaShelter has developed a product that can be erected quickly using semi-skilled labor. The PermaShelter 2011 Model provides protection from the elements sought in a transitional shelter while providing a platform that can be upgraded as resources permit. The PermaShelter 2011 Model is available in 18m2, 24m2, and 30m3 sizes starting at just $1,695 US—about the cost of a wood frame transitional shelter.

PermaShelter is currently building homes on the Haitian Island of La Gonave as well as at various points on the mainland. This subsidiary of Harbor Homes is establishing an outlet to provide upgrades to their home such as bunk beds, showers and toilets, sinks, cisterns, and other mechanical systems and furnishings. This permits homeowners to begin with a basic home that can be upgraded over time as their resources permit. Providing opportunities to establish homesteads and develop pride of ownership is critical to Haiti’s long term economic development.

Available upgrades to the PermaShelter 2011 Model include concrete pad, fully finished walls and ceiling, modular toilet and shower, multipurpose metal sink, bunk beds, electrical wiring with lights and ceiling fan, gutter style rainwater catch system with elevated cistern, and front porch. Fully equipped, the largest of the three available homes (16x20 foot) costs less than $8,000 US. According to PermaShelter owner and CEO Lucas Stewart, “We believe that we have hit a home run with this home. It’s simple, safe, affordable, and attractive. Our company has been fielding requests from throughout the Caribbean and Central America since we began producing the home last month.”

The Harbor Homes family of companies includes PermaShelter, S.A., Intrepid Structures, and Outlast Emergency Products. Harbor Homes manufacturers, delivers, and assembles a wide range of disaster relief housing, transitional shelters, permanent homes, field support structures, and other non-food item (NFI) relief supplies throughout the Caribbean, Central America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Harbor Homes is also the exclusive distributor of the Concrete MD concrete mixer in Haiti.

More information can be found online at http://www.harborhomesllc.com

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