East Port-of-Spain residents want re-housing

Contrary to Mr Ramesh Maharaj and his human chain that is bent on stopping the re-housing of the people of East Port-of-Spain, the majority of people are in favour of being re-housed.

Mr Maharaj on the other hand is not exactly famous for championing the cause of the people of East Port-of-Spain; he certainly was not when his government sought to get rid of the NHA East Port-of-Spain apartments in 1999.

(See statement in Parliament on the sale of NHA apartments by then Minister of Housing Mr John Humphrey).

Our organisation opposed the selling of the apartments to individuals without the collective rights to the land.

The gist of our argument was: that without a central organisation to co-ordinate the collateral, the general maintenance of the property will rapidly decay to the flat value of the land.

Such a deal would invariably lead to the making of an irretrievable slum and its eventual condemnation by the City’s Engineers Department.

Thus becoming a golden opportunity for the land sharks to have a good laugh on their way to the bank.

In our discussions with the then hired government consultant Ms Jill Wriggle of Planning Alliance, Toronto, Canada, we made a counter suggestion: proposing that we treat the Rock City Co-operative as a precedent.

The Rock City Co-operative came into being when the government purchased quarried lands from Furness Withy Co and sold it back to the Rock City Co-operative at one dollar per square foot.

We thought that it was only fair that the government should offer the people of East Port-of-Spain a similar opportunity to purchase the land.

Needless to say it was the last we heard of Ms Wiggle.

To date, we have had discussions with HDC’s management including the CEO Mr Noel Garcia who has not only agreed to the tenants’ right to return to the new apartments but has agreed to give a written document guaranteeing the tenants the right to return to their community.

Most of our members have also been interviewed on an individual basis and it appears that it is the wish of the majority to return.

However, a considerable amount prefer to accept alternative housing.