Regrello: We will make streets ‘unfriendly’ for homeless

A bye-law was passed at the final sitting of the Council under former Mayor Kazim Hosein last October to restrict people from feeding the homeless on the streets. It remained unclear whether the bye-law was assented to by the President, but the practice has continued, said Regrello. “People have this way where they want to give back.

As they have done well in life, they will pull up with their Mercedes and pack it with food warmers and give out food and once you are doing that, you are already encouraging persons who do not want to be put in a home and provided with care to remain on the streets.” “We have to really make this system very unfriendly for them.

And I say ‘unfriendly’ in a very humane way meaning that certain things will not available to them. Once there is a shade or a tree they will gather there.” The centre on the wharf, said Regrello, was better suited to serving the homeless in a more humane manner and would also lead to less littering in the city from the homeless.

Regrello said the centre was completed, and just needed outfitting before it could begin operating.

However, Regrello expressed concern about the proximity of the centre to the developing waterfront project. “You also have to consider that at this point, the waterfront is earmarked for major development and we must ask ourselves ‘do we want to have a homeless centre where you are going to have major development?’ If you going to use there as a major tourist site and for business, do you want to have that structure and that place there?” Asked whether this meant the centre would be moved mere months after its completion, Regrello said, “It is already there, major investments were made there so we will support it. But the major decision- makers in Port-of- Spain could have other plans and we will just adhere to whatever they say.” Regrello said a task force visited the facility last week and will make recommendations about the future of the centre to the relevant ministries.