East PoS tells Govt: ‘We not moving’

The East Port-of-Spain residents issued this warning to the Government via their parliamentary representative Eric Williams and top executives of the TT Housing Development Corporation (TTHDC) during a heated public consultation at the Eastern Girls Government Prim-ary School on George Street, Port-of-Spain on the TTHDC’s plans to demolish existing housing units in the area and begin the construction of 2,000 units in May. Several times during the meeting, residents slammed Williams for failing them as Port-of-Spain South MP and demanded to know why Housing Minister Dr Keith Rowley was not at the meeting.

TTHDC chairman Noel Garcia told the residents that past administrations had seemingly forgotten about the developmental needs of East Port-of-Spain in relation to other parts of the country and the TTHDC was determined to change that through this project. Stating that it was clear that East Port-of-Spain needed to be rejuvenated and regenerated, Garcia told residents, " I don’t want you to feel that we are coming here to push anything down your throats." He said this plan would give East Port-of-Spain "a chance of sharing in the country’s wealth."

Despite assurances by the TTHDC’s staff that the East PoS development would address all of their concerns (including their being housed in the new units), the irate residents were not convinced and warned the PNM they would face "a revolt in the voting station" if they were relocated from their homes without the proper consultation. The residents said they had no problem with Gover-nment wanting to develop East PoS but believed they were doing it all wrong.

With the exception of a few residents, the majority of those present accused Williams of failing them as Port-of-Spain South MP and claimed he was only interested in their welfare because he was no longer a member of the Cabinet.

Nelson Street resident Emmanuel Bryan claimed nothing was wrong with the existing plannings and the TTHDC should rennovate them instead of demolishing them and constructing new units. Garcia replied that it made "economic sense" to construct new units since many of the East PoS plannings were over 70 years old and posed a health risk to their residents.

He gave the assurance that residents who suffer any losses during relocation would be compensated, those wishing to return to East PoS after the construction is completed will be given a legal document assuring them of housing in the new units and the cost of those units would be affordable to the residents. However this still did not placate the angry residents.

Residents Keith Gul-ston and Maureen Thompson said the nation’s crime situation could be worsened if Government inadvertently moves criminal elements in East PoS into other areas during the relocation process.

Other residents claimed there was a hidden agenda by Govern-ment and the business sector to move out East PoS residents, house other people in the proposed housing units and it would take the security forces to remove them from their homes.

They demanded an input into the design and construction of any new housing units in East PoS. Later, Williams told Newsday that he had not ignored his constituents and was determined to ensure that all their concerns are addressed.