Buchanan, Grand Bassa – ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) has begun a thorough restoration project to upgrade and restore housing facilities in its Buchanan concession area in order to give Liberian workers and their families decent and improved living conditions. The program centers on homes that were left in disrepair after Liberia’s civil war, when structures owned by the Liberian American-Swedish Mining Company (LAMCO) were looted and ruined.
Several residential units in Loops One, Two, Three, Four, and Five are receiving renovations, according to the AML Estates Infrastructure, Housing, and Accommodation team. The team revealed that while work has been finished in Loop Five and are currently placing furnishings, “we still have three homes in Loop One undergoing renovations and one in Loop Four. These projects full renovations is carried out by Liberian contractors.”
Already, single employees are being moved into the newly completed Bachelor Flats #2, which has made it possible to allocate four additional family homes to staff with families. Since 2024, AML has completed the renovation of Bachelor Flats #2, which comprises of 23 one-bedroom apartments, along with 11 additional houses, excluding the six units currently under construction.
The company’s short-term plan includes completing the renovation of five houses at Loop Five, five at Loop Four, and ten at Loop One before the end of this year. At the same time, discussions are underway to renovate Bachelor Flats #3, which will provide 23 additional modern apartments for staff accommodation.
Maria A. Da Silva, Manager for Program Quality Life at AML, explained that the housing upgrades go far beyond surface improvements.
“We are conducting full renovations where only parts of the walls are kept. Everything else is replaced, including new roof and roof structure, windows, doors, ceramic tiles, sanitary fittings, cabinets, electrical rewiring, sewage and water lines, and furniture,” she said. “We are applying international standards to optimize construction details and ensure high-quality finishes.”
The completion dates of the present housing package are set for January 2026 and the end of 2025. In addition, 38 more homes have been approved by AML for rehabilitation in 2026; design and tender preparations are already scheduled to start in October. By the end of 2027, all staff housing in Loops 1 extension, 2, 3, 4, and 5 will have undergone complete remodeling and restoration to international standards as part of the company’s long-term housing modernization initiative.
All of the renovated homes will be assigned to Liberian staff and their families, with some transfers arranged to make way for renovations in currently occupied units,” Da Silva added. The staff housing renovation program forms part of AML’s broader commitment to improving the quality of life for its workforce while also revitalizing once-abandoned facilities that remain an important part of Liberia’s mining history.
