Hurricane shelter residents say relocation promises fell short

PETERSFIELD, Westmoreland — Questions continue to mount surrounding the Government’s relocation of residents from hurricane shelters to what were described as improved living conditions, as displaced families and one political representative argue that the new accommodations are not ready for occupancy.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie, in a media release issued on May 7, said residents housed in school shelters would be relocated to accommodations “far, far better” than the existing shelters. The minister had also stated that work at the relocation site, where residents are expected to receive container homes, was almost complete.

However, those claims are now being challenged by former residents of the Petersfield High School shelter and Westmoreland Central Member of Parliament Dwayne Vaz, who, on May 8, visited both the new shelter — a teachers’ cottage in Shrewsbury, Westmoreland — and the relocation site, a plot of land about half a mile away where container homes will be placed.

Vaz criticised the Government over what he described as a broken promise to relocate occupants of the Petersfield High School hurricane shelter into suitable accommodations by last Friday.

“Another issue raised by the residents when they went to clean up was rat infestation,” Vaz stated. “All over the property, rats left, right and centre. If we are being serious right now, we are talking about the hantavirus, and people across the world are saying they are scared. Jamaicans are scared. The Ministry [of Health and Wellness] is saying we should be prepared. Imagine this virus threatening Jamaica right now and threatening the world, and we are sending persons to a place that was not properly cleaned up before the persons went over there. Is this how you care for the people of Petersfield?”

Shelter resident Christina Ennis also disputed McKenzie’s assertion that the new accommodations were superior to the school shelter, describing the conditions at the relocation site as unacceptable.

“We had to get a power washer and clean out the rooms ourselves,” she said. “There were dead rats and garbage everywhere. When we arrived, there was a huge pile of garbage that my husband had to burn last night. The place was not ready! We had to clean it up ourselves.”

Ennis further complained that there is no secure area to store residents’ belongings. She explained that one resident, who had temporarily left to stay with relatives, had personal items placed outside after leaving them at the shelter.

“Just like us, we have nowhere to store our things,” she said. “They forced us to move during school hours, which was embarrassing. They brought four police jeeps for us then they were telling us we could throw away our belongings since we said we had nowhere to store them. All our things are outside. If rain falls, everything will get wet. They have no compassion. Why would the Government leave people with no heart in charge of us?”

Despite their concerns, residents maintained that they are willing to relocate but they currently have no other housing option. However, they are calling on Minister McKenzie to personally visit the location and address what they describe as poor treatment and inadequate management on the ground.

In the same media release, McKenzie had declared: “I am pleased to announce that we have met the deadline.”

The minister also alleged that some individuals were deliberately encouraging shelter residents not to relocate. Referring specifically to the Petersfield High situation, he claimed that all but three families had agreed to move. He further accused some media houses of spreading misinformation by circulating old videos recorded before work began at the relocation site.

However, when the Jamaica Observer visited the site on May 8, the team found that construction was far from complete, with the majority of the lots intended for residents still unfinished.

“There are supposed to be 50 houses, as was promised. As you can see, there are only five bases that have been prepared,” Vaz told the Sunday Observer. “Five have already been cast, and one here behind me has not yet been completed. As you can see, no sewage systems have been installed and no water lines have been put in, so it is obvious that the site is simply not ready.”

Residents also reported that there was initially no running water or electricity when they arrived at the location. Although those issues were reportedly addressed later in the evening, other concerns, including non-functioning toilets, remained unresolved as of 11:00 am on May 8.

In the meantime, Ennis rejected claims that shelter residents were overly dependent on Government assistance, explaining that her husband, a chef by profession, had taken up construction work after the storm in an effort to support the family.

“I lost everything. My business — a small café — was flattened by the storm,” she said. “The land we were on has been condemned because it is too close to the river, so we have been told not to return… So even though we got the grant, where are we to build? The plan is to add to what we will be given at Shrewsbury using the grant we have received.”

She also recounted arriving at the shelter during the hurricane with severe cuts across her body, after becoming trapped beneath rubble when her house collapsed. Ennis said she desperately wants to leave the current conditions behind, citing both safety concerns and the emotional toll the ordeal has taken on her family.

She currently shares a single room and bed with her husband, mother, and two-year-old son.

Member of Parliament Dwayne Vaz stands at the incomplete relocation site meant to house residents from the Petersfield High School shelter.(Photo: Rosalee Wood Condell)

Dwayne Vaz listens to concerns of shelterees who have been relocated to a teachers’ cottage while they await completion of their permanent homes, as promised by the Government. (Photo: Rosalee Wood Condell)