Port Au Prince - Post Report Question and Answers
What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
In a compound living close to the Embassy. - Aug 2019
Embassy housing tends to be spacious. A new and large compound opened after I left, so there are likely fewer embassy houses located around town by 2019. From the compounds, the commute would be very short. My commute was typically 15 minutes from Vivy Mitchell but those who live near Petionville or near Avenue Panamericaine would have longer commutes. Roads are not good and drive times can vary greatly. - Jun 2019
Housing for the mission varies widely, but "eventually" we will all live in one of two compounds near the US Embassy. Eventually is in quotes because this compound was supposed to be finished in 2014. - Aug 2018
Nice three-bedroom townhouse on a compound across the street from the embassy. Quick 5-minute walk from my front door to my desk. Right now most people live in houses that are a 15-20 minute drive from the embassy, but at some point in 2017, the new compound is scheduled to open. Once it opens, almost everyone will live on one of the two compounds. The new one will be a short shuttle ride to the embassy. - Apr 2017
Three-bedroom townhouse on the Embassy compound. From Petionville it can be 30-60 minutes commute to the Embassy. - Dec 2016
There's an Embassy compound of townhouses across from the Embassy plus stand-alone houses and apartments in Vivy Michel, Belvil, Juvenat, Mount Calvaire, etc. Commuting times have improved drastically in the past year for those who are smart enough to learn alternate routes to work. Vivy Michel and Belvil are 15-20 minutes away from the Embassy. Juvenat is about 45 minutes away now but very close to Union School. Canne Sucre is a 2-5 minute walk. People who complain about the commuting times probably weren't around when things were worse. Looking at other Post Reports, our commuting times are pretty common. Schools are usually in the opposite direction of work. - Sep 2014
I am in USG housing so it is not representative of Haiti. USG struggles to find seismically safe housing, and our houses in the hills above Port-au-Prince (Vivy Michel, Belvil, etc) often have problems with leaks, plumbing, etc. Weird designs too, often very large though. - Sep 2013
Depressing, and perfectly fine. Mostly depressing. - Sep 2011
Housing varies but is, generally, of decent quality. Homes are almost all made from concrete and cinder blocks. Windows and doors are frequently leaky and allow air and bugs to circulate freely. - Jan 2011
The majority live with dirt floors, no running water, and extremely hazardous living conditions. I mentioned to a Doctor with no border, that I couldn't even see an animal live in these environments. - Jan 2010
Commuting to the Embassy, 2 hours each way with a 6am departure, is about the worst thing about living here, as far as I can see, as are just pretty terrible traffic conditions - May 2009
Ok to excellent. - Feb 2009
Houses and apartments, commute time is pretty bad due to traffic. - Dec 2008
There are houses, duplexes, apartments - all ranging from ok to excellent. Maintenance has been horrible but there is a new facilities manager who is doing a great job getting all pending work orders completed -- this makes a huge difference. - Feb 2008
