The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

OWNERS of land on which the Joe Farrington Road Haitian Village sits are expected to meet with government officials on Thursday to discuss the future of the community.

According to Wrensworth Butler, a superintendent at Social Services, he is a part of a task force set up to assess shanty towns and determine which can be moved.

The task force was formed after the Department of Environmental Health Services (DEHS) released a damning report detailing the state of shanty towns in the New Providence.

Environment Minister Kendred Dorsett said these communities operate outside of the requirements for proper sanitation, without regard to the building code and in violation of safety requirements for electricity.

He said the DEHS is moving forward with the prosecution of land-owners for housing and environmental infractions.

Mr Butler said a crew from Social Services was in the process of assessing that shanty town off Joe Farrignton Road, when the fire occurred.

More than 50 homes were destroyed when a blaze ripped through the community Monday night leaving more than 150 people homeless.

“As you are aware, the government is looking at shanty towns and how they would move them from one location to another and it just so happened yesterday (Monday), a team of social workers came in to conduct an assessment to determine if those persons were able to move? We were supposed to complete our exercise today,” Mr Butler said.

“Things were going well before this. We determined that around 350 to 400 people live in that area. They have one generator. They pay $10 a week and the generator is turned on at 7pm until 12pm when it is shut off.

“There is very little running water. Most of them have outside toilets and there is one pump they use to get water. We are doing this exercise to determine how many persons are employed, how many are Bahamian citizens vs Bahamians residents and the living conditions.

“So far, we found that these people pay $30 to $50 a week in rent.

“From what I gather, there are two different landowners. But since the government has given notice to the landowners to bring their properties up to standards, the people here say agents are no longer taking rent.

“According to one of the Haitian leaders in this community, the owners were here last night, they spoke with them and they are scheduled to have a meeting with government officials on Thursday.

“So they will wait to hear the outcome to determine their fate, if they should stay or if they should go. We do not know at this stage if they will move.

“Even if they wanted to, many of them are unable to because of finances and that is where Social Services comes in.

“It’s cheaper and Bahamians live here too. A number of person move here because they are comfortable, there are scores of persons working, who go to work everyday and return.

“We know that persons can afford other places other than being here but it is their preference.”

Mr Butler said his report on the shanty town is expected to be completed by the end of the week.