POS Mayor: Help relocate street dwellers

Nevertheless, he is certain that headway is being made to clean up the City and relocate homeless persons in spite of the challenges being faced.

In a telephone interview, Valentine told Newsday yesterday that the Port-of- Spain City Corporation’s hands are tied since it cannot simply remove the homeless persons from the streets because there is no proper housing for them.

Meanwhile, he said, he has had preliminary talks with Minister of Family Services and Social Development, Cherrie- Ann Crichlow-Cockburn and is due to have a meeting with her “in a few days.” Newsday contacted Crichlow-Cockburn who asked that questions pertaining to the Ministry’s intervention to treat with the issue be sent to her. This was done but, up to press time, no responses were forthcoming.

Valentine has consistently expressed his concerns about the health of the public and the overall cleanliness of the City in light of sidewalks being stained from the urine and faeces of homeless persons.

After a major clean up, on July 30, of Independence Square, Valentine said that homeless people congregated in the area not long after