US says post-quake Haiti has a pressing need for improved housing for displaced people

US: better housing is key post-quake Haitian need

WASHINGTON — The State Department says that one of Haiti’s most pressing needs is to get better shelter for people who lost their homes in the earthquake six months ago.

Cheryl Mills, the chief of staff to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, told reporters Monday that too many displaced people are still living in tents provided in the quake’s immediate aftermath.

She said disputes over land rights is a major impediment to providing more permanent housing.

The Jan. 12 quake killed 230,000 to 300,000 people, according to Haitian government estimates.

Mills said the recovery effort has made progress in some areas, including in preventing a major outbreak of disease.