The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Deputy Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

WHILE insisting shanty towns have been allowed to exist for too long, Anglican Archdeacon James Palacious said the process toward full eradication of these illegal communities will be a "painful" one.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, he conceded many of those who presently live in shanty towns will not be financially able to afford normal rental fees, adding the church will have to step in to assist where needed and would appeal to Bahamians to assist.

Asked if the government should also provide financial assistance outside of compiling lists of available rental properties, Archdeacon Palacious said it would be a bad political move for the government to do so. He said the government is also most likely cash strapped with no room for this kind of undertaking.

The archdeacon, who is acting Christian Council president, stressed his remarks reflected his personal views.

"It is my opinion that shanty towns have been permitted to exist for decades and decisive action is necessary to rectify this situation," he said.

"The government has consulted extensively with the Bahamas Christian Council, the Haitian pastors, the wider Haitian community and other stakeholders. I commend the government for this widespread consultation, whereby the various occupants have been duly notified about the pending action to demolish the shanty towns. The building code and other laws of the land must be upheld by one and all.

"It is indeed however a painful experience for those communities, seeing their place of residence being bulldozed. After all, however we look at these structures (they) are the homes that many of them occupied in many cases for all of their lives. They have invested heavily in the buildings and in the communities themselves. It is heart wrenching to say the least for many of us who are not a part of those communities so we can only imagine what it must be for the people who live there.

"The dislocation is tremendous and traumatic as the displaced try to find affordable housing. This is not easy."

He continued: "Let's face it, who wants to rent a house or apartment to people fresh out of a shanty town? Bahamians with reasonably paying jobs could hardly find first and last month's rent. Do we really expect ex-shanty town residents to have the money to do so?

"In the face of all of this all Bahamians are urged, as they are able, to help these residents to readjust to the financial and social realities of a new life and new location and in a new community. They are after all our brothers and sisters and we need to come to their aid in whatever way we can."

He said the Christian Council does not have a separate initiative in place to assist but the group plans to support Haitian pastors where needed.

"I'm sure when cases come up churches will be called upon and they ought to help them as resources permit. After all they are our brothers and sisters.

"We will be working with them in very short order. That hasn't been formally established but that would definitely be the route we would choose to take," he also said.

"Similar to what you might do or say in a natural disaster. We have to have a proper coordination of the effort so that you get the best bang for the buck and the money goes in areas where it is most needed."

The government has given shanty town residents in New Providence who do not have occupancy certificates for their structures to relocate by August 10. The Minnis administration plans to bulldoze the illegal structures built on Crown land, which was meant for farming.