The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and Inter-American Development Bank Damage and Loss Assessment (DaLA) revealed that approximately 9,000 homes and in excess of 11 million square feet of structures have sustained some damage on Abaco and Grand Bahama. Damages to the housing sector on both islands were estimated at $1.48 billion, with 88.9 percent of the housing damage recorded in Abaco. Losses in the housing sector are attributed to the interruption of accommodation and rental services due to severe damage or destruction of the house, making it temporarily or permanently uninhabitable. The assessment team estimated losses of $56.8 million resulting from 2,894 homes left uninhabitable after the hurricane. Additional costs of $45.9 million included in this assessment refer to the cost of demolition of the most affected dwellings, debris cleaning, and labor and equipment rental cost.

The Government of The Bahamas is committed to strengthening the capacity of Bahamians, communities and institutions to anticipate, prepare and adapt to adverse events, disturbances and stress, and to recover. This concept of resiliency will require the development of an affordable but resilient housing system and communities that are capable of withstanding shocks associated with the impact of climate change. The design and construction of affordable homes to withstand ever increasingly strong hurricanes, flooding, storm surges, wind, fire damage, and other natural hazards will be critical to the resilient housing initiative. Other essential factors include: the enforcement of The Bahamas Building Code Edition 3, and future codes as and when revised; use of resilient materials (e.g. hurricane proof doors, roofing, windows); safety related codes and criteria for local construction (e.g. land elevation); providing at-risk low income groups’ access to qualified technical professionals (architects and engineers); and improving awareness of households and communities.