Housing Minister Ashfield DeVent yesterday responded to Opposition concerns about the possible hurricane vulnerability of portable homes he is considering importing for emergency housing.

Responding to Opposition concerns that the homes would be particularly vulnerable to an unexpected hurricane, Mr. DeVent noted that temporary classrooms at Berkeley Institute survived Hurricane Fabian.

He said his department would have an evacuation plan in place for the residents.

?They are manufactured homes for one thing. But how vulnerable are the people who are living outside under normal circumstances?? he asked.

He added that the manufacturers of the homes claim that some of them can withstand winds of up to 100 miles an hour.

Shadow Housing Minister Wayne Furbert warned this week that Mr. DeVent should take a cue from Hurricane Charley, which caused devastation in Florida last weekend, and rethink the possible importation of the homes.

The storm left thousands of people homeless and destroyed many mobile homes.