Blue Vex: Troy Brathwaite outlining his plight before fellow resident Wendy Sealy.

by Maria Bradshaw

FOUR FAMILIES are begging the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Government to rescue them.

The families were relocated from a depressed community called "The Barracks" at Government Hill, St Michael, six years ago, to a complex at Eckstein Village, Tudor Bridge, St Michael, but are claiming that they were forgotten by the Barbados Labour Party administration.

The families said the move was supposed to be temporary but charged that up to this day they have heard nothing from the Urban Development Commission (UDC) or former Minister of Social Transformation Trevor Prescod, who were responsible for relocating them.

"They told us that they were going to give us houses at Lower Burney; but up to now we have not heard anything," said Wendy Sealy, who is living in a two-bedroom unit with her five children, two randchildren and two other relatives.

While she likes the area, she said the unit was too small for her family.

An upset Troy Brathwaite said he was disadvantaged by the then Government because he lost both his house and land and now they were living in almost dilapidated conditions.

"They just dropped us off here and never looked back. The people here are frustrated, but they are putting up with it because they have nowhere else to go.

I had my own spot for twenty-something years and they take me up and told me that I would be here a few weeks and this is now six years. My house was old, but it was mine and that spot was mine," he cried.

The families said that they had to foot the bill for everything that went wrong in the complex which now had cracked walls, leaking ceilings and a roof which was being held down by electrical wire after it was partially blown off by hurricane-force winds three years ago.

Brathwaite lives with his wife in a two-bedroom apartment that leaks badly whenever it rains. His mother lives next door with his other siblings, while another family of seven occupies the other unit. All of the units are attached.

Brathwaite said he tried contacting Prescod but to no avail.

When contacted Prescod denied that he or his administration had neglected the families.

"I am very concerned because the plans were to start constructing the houses for those families in December. Those were the plans that were made before elections was called," he stated.

He explained that because of the very "bad and inhumane" conditions under which the families were living he made a judgement call and had them relocated along with the assistance of the Urban Development Commission to the complex which is owned by the Ministry of Agriculture.

He said the original plans were to build high-rise houses on the spot at "The Barracks" for the families but this hit a snag after one family member strongly objected to the concept.

"He wanted an individual house. The engineers had their views, the residents had their views and we could not locate the owner of some of the land."

He said he then sourced land at Barkers Road, St Michael, which was owned by David Thompson, now the Prime Minister.

He said Thompson agreed to sell Government the land but there were some initial problems with the surveying of the property.

"As far as I know that matter was resolved. The UDC agreed to pay the sum which Thompson was asking for the land and all the Government agencies agreed to the construction of duplexes and single units on the land for the families.

While Minister of Housing Michael Lashley said he was not aware of this situation, he promised to have the matter investigated.