New Milot Town Hall Opens as Haiti Strengthens Local Governance Resilience

Residents of Milot, a historic city in northern Haiti, celebrated today as high-level delegations gathered for the inauguration of a new municipal office building — a major investment aimed at modernising local governance and improving public service delivery.

The new 300-square-foot Town Hall replaces the former municipal building constructed more than 40 years ago. Its completion marks an important milestone in efforts to strengthen institutional resilience and provide local authorities with modern administrative infrastructure.

Construction began approximately two years ago as part of a broader push to equip municipalities with functional, sustainable facilities capable of serving communities more efficiently.

Modern Infrastructure to Improve Services for Citizens

Haiti's Minister of Territorial Collectivities, Paul Antoine Bien-Aimé, underscored the importance of strengthening municipalities as the first point of contact between government and citizens.

"Providing modern infrastructure and adapted working materials to local authorities remains one of the government's priorities, as municipalities constitute an entry point for service delivery toward the population," he said.

The new Milot Town Hall is designed to improve administrative capacity, facilitate community engagement, and enhance the quality of municipal services.

Part of World Bank–Supported Urban Resilience Investment

Milot is one of three northern municipalities where new Town Halls were inaugurated in the last quarter of 2025, alongside Plaine du Nord and Quartier Morin.

These buildings were constructed under the Municipal Development and Urban Resilience Project (MDUR), financed by the World Bank, supporting Haiti's efforts to modernise local institutions despite the country's ongoing crisis.

Officials said strengthening satellite municipalities surrounding the Cap-Haïtien metropolitan area will help reduce pressure on the historic city, which has been affected by internal migration as families flee violence in other regions, including the West, Artibonite and Centre departments.

Supporting Communities Amid Haiti's Displacement Crisis

Haiti continues to face a deep, multidimensional crisis, with more than 1.3 million people displaced in search of safety.

Despite these challenges, the World Bank has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting investments that strengthen governance, resilience and service delivery at the local level.

The Bank said such projects are essential to breaking cycles of poverty and creating opportunities for communities across the country, particularly in fragile and high-impact areas.

Strengthening Public Sector Performance From the Local Level Up

World Bank officials noted that Haiti's long-term development goals — poverty reduction, accelerated growth and improved services — require stronger public sector performance not only nationally but also locally.

Anne-Lucie Lefebvre, World Bank Country Manager for Haiti, emphasised the importance of institutional strengthening across all levels of government.

"The World Bank works in partnership with the Haitian government to support the country's efforts to make cities more resilient, improve local economic development, and strengthen community cohesion," she said."Our strategy is to foster resilience and encourage transformative reforms."

Wider Urban Development Gains Across Northern Haiti

Through World Bank-funded urban development initiatives, six municipalities in the northern metropolitan area — Cap-Haïtien, Acul du Nord, Limonade, Milot, Quartier Morin and Plaine du Nord — have benefited from improvements including:

• upgraded municipal buildings

• enhanced public spaces and basic urban infrastructure

• cultural heritage preservation initiatives

• flood risk reduction measures in parts of Cap-Haïtien

• strengthened municipal capacity to deliver services

Projects have also improved urban infrastructure in seven northern municipalities more broadly.

Milot Officials Welcome New Opportunities for Development

Milot's deputy mayor, Thelemaque Henry Claude, said the new building will make municipal services more accessible and strengthen the city's development prospects.

"This building is more appropriate to provide services to our citizens as it facilitates interaction with the community," he said."Now we are working on several development projects such as access to water and improving public leisure space."

He added that the project's support for internal road construction has improved connectivity and attractiveness.

"Now the population remains connected, and the city looks more attractive."

A Step Toward Resilient Cities and Stronger Local Institutions

The inauguration of the new Milot Town Hall represents more than a construction milestone — it reflects a broader effort to build resilient local institutions, improve service delivery and strengthen community cohesion in northern Haiti during a period of national crisis.