San Juan/Barataria housing cost rising

THE EDITOR: Will someone please tell me and hundreds of other people in this situation, what is going on in this country? Do we know that landlords are kicking their tenants out of houses/apartments, painting them over and then charging three times more. In San Juan/Barataria, houses and apartments used to rent  for $800-$1,000 for a 2 bedroom, now it is $2,000-$2,500 and up. And some places are dumps.

Some of us are renting because we have to live somewhere, and that leaves us with not enough money to feed and clothe our kids, or to even send them to school some days. Mr Manning this is a very serious matter, because if a person can’t afford to house their family, of course they will turn to other ways to get money to support their family. My daughter is renting a two bedroom apartment in San Juan. She was paying $1,000 a month. Two years ago it was raised to $1,200.

Six months after, they raised it to $1,800. When they told the landlord they couldn’t afford that, they were given notice.  San Juan/Barataria is now like Woodbrook, St James, even Westmoorings as the price of housing and land has shot up like crazy. And it is spreading to Curepe, Tunapuna and surrounding areas. Please Mr Manning, Mr Rowley, please take serious action on this issue as people are getting really desperate, and you don’t need more crime than there is already in this country.

MARGARET PATTI
Barataria