By DENISE MAYCOCK
Tribune Freeport Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis announced that a social initiative launched by the Ministry for Grand Bahama involving the restoration of houses for homeless families is underway in Freeport.
He also revealed that 100 people have been engaged in a cleanup exercise in the area in preparation for the halfway-housing project at Tripp Circle.
Yesterday marked Mr Davis’ first official visit to Grand Bahama since being elected to office. He was accompanied by Myles LaRoda, Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, David Davis, Permanent Secretary (OPM); Leon Lundy, Parliamentary Secretary (OPM); and Jerome Fitzgerald, Senior Policy Advisor (OPM).
Mr Davis said the initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry for Grand Bahama, is in collaboration with the private sector in Grand Bahama to alleviate social ills that affects some residents.
He said 14 abandoned houses that were previously occupied by the Royal Bahamas Police Force at Tripp Circle would be repaired and renovated so that eight homeless families could be relocated there.
“I am aware there are many homeless persons in Grand Bahama, and, unfortunately, they are living in conditions that jeopardise their wellbeing and their health,” he said.
“I was taken by a dilapidated building where persons are living, and that it is intended that the building will be taken down, and because those persons will be displaced and homeless, even though they are homeless now because they are squatting in these dilapidated apartments.”
Mr Davis and his entourage visited the condemned apartment building situated at East Mall Drive, across the street just east of the Office of the Prime Minister in the Harold DeGregory Government Complex.
He said Ms Moxey has spearheaded a collaboration with corporate Grand Bahama and the RBPF to renovate the homes. He said the homes have been abandoned and are sitting idly, and in many instances in a bad state of repair.
“They will be undertaking renovation and repair of all 14 buildings, and there they will relocate those persons living in the dilapidated state I saw today. They would be relocated there for a short period to get them used to living properly. We will try to provide some counselling and rehabilitation of their mindset and get them into mainstream life again. That might take two to three months, and we will find jobs for them afterwards so they can go on their own.
“That exercise I am advised will continue because the number of persons there are much more than others that find themselves in that situation and we need to find relief for them.”
In the meantime, the Prime Minister also noted that jobs have been created for Bahamians through the initiative.
“I am advised 100 young men and women are engaged in a cleanup exercise in that area where the homes are in Tripp Circle and they are there cleaning up and I can see relief in their eyes, and the dignity that they are doing something to earn a living as opposed to getting a hand-out. They are getting a hand up and that was really encouraging to me, and hopefully we can find ways and means to keep them engaged along the way. For the time being, it is only a one-week job, but I charged the minister to look at how we can keep them going in the future.”
Ms Moxey expressed her excitement with the initiative.
“Today is a great day. Grand Bahama has been through so much over the past few years with many hurricanes, including Dorian and pandemic. We are all in this together and one of the initiatives we have pledged is our new unit called Partnerships for Development. And with that we are bringing in NGOs, businesses, the regulatory bodies. and communities at large together to make things happen. Our administration promised we would bring relief to the people.”
Speaking on the storm recovery effort, Mr Davis expressed his disappointment with the slow pace of recovery in Dorian stricken areas in Abaco and Grand Bahama.
“I have been apprised of the restoration efforts with respect to Dorian recovery,” he said. “I am not satisfied with the pace that is occurring. I have spoken to the Minister of State who has been charged with the responsibility of that aspect of my ministry. He too has expressed his dissatisfaction on the pace, and we are committing ourselves today to find mechanisms, means, and structure to accelerate the pace in which relief could be had to our people in the stricken-Dorian area. And that is the commitment we made today, and hopefully we will see the results of that in short order,” he said.
Comments
SP 2 years, 3 months ago
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Prime Minister Davis must live in a very small bubble. He didn't need to go all the way to Freeport to see people suffering because he could have seen any number of homeless Bahamians living in abandoned buildings and in their cars right here in Nassau!
This trip was nothing more than a good photo op for Brave. People that have been in this type of situation for prolonged periods will get absolutely no benefit from two or three months of counseling. And so-called rehabilitation WILL NOT help their mindset or get them into mainstream life again! In many instances, these people have been totally demoralized for years.
If PM Davis were "truly interested" in alleviating social ills that affect Bahamians he would have to show much better convincing efforts to prove it.
Firstly, the PM needs to face the fact that the vast majority of our homeless and unemployed are in the undereducated, blue-collar job catagory. These are the Bahamians that should always have priority for domestic-type jobs. They are also the same grouping that falls victim to criminal activity as the only alternative as a means for survival when faced with hard times.
Secondly, successive governments have made the blunder of using immigration fees for foreign domestic workers as means of cash flow for the Treasury, resulting in giving the domestic job industry to foreign workers and the unemploying of Bahamians.
I am not aware of any other country in the world that allows foreigners to overwhelm a whole segment of their economy to the detriment of its own citizens. In fact, countries seriously protect low-skilled jobs opportunities for their own people. No Bahamian will EVER get a job in the Filipinas as a domestic worker, blue-collar worker, or in any other job capacity that a Filipeanos remotely qualifies for!
Thirdly, the illegal immigrant situation has been out of control for decades....with the blessing of successive governments that have done NOTHING to stop the invasion.
A simple seriously inforced initiative of fining anyone $10,000 and revoking work permits, residencies, and citizenships, if caught hiring or helping illegals, would put an immediate huge dent in our illegal migrant problem, and create any number of blue-collar jobs literally overnight! This is what the people need to regain their dignity, self-worth, mental rehabilitation, and a means to escape the need for criminal activity.
No more blah, blah, blah. If Prime Minister Davis doesn't want to be seen as just more political lip service and photo ops as all those before him, he will have to actually reverse the immigration blunders of former leaders, implement common sense deterrents for illegals, and put our people back to work!
tribanon 2 years, 3 months ago
That $3+ million dollars Davis flushed down the toilet on the lavish Dubai extravaganza event he personally approved and attended with his wife, accompanied by a very large entourage, certainly would have gone a long ways toward helping the homeless in Grand Bahama.
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