Esther Williams is living in pain after breaking her foot while slipping in the dilapidated house which she occupies.
And she faces the possibility of homelessness as the landlord has given her notice to quit.
Williams, who is employed at the National Sports Council as a caretaker, said she has been knocking at the door of the National Housing Corporation (NHC) for years pleading for a house to rent as her income cannot afford private rentals.
She has been renting the small wooden house at the Ivy, St Michael, for the past 12 years, paying $300 a month. But Williams pointed out that the house was old, termite infested and her attempts to get the landlord to repair it came to naught.
Roof falling in
Two months ago her worst fears were realised when she fell in the kitchen and broke her left foot. She spent about three weeks hospitalised and now has a cast on the foot.
“The roof is falling and the whole house needs repairs,” Williams cried,” pointing out that during the passing of Hurricane Beryl earlier this year a man passed by her home and told her the roof had collapsed.
“I went outside and see that it had fall down and the man went and got a piece of wood and prop it up for me.”
Can’t work
She said after asking for repairs to be done to the house she was given
notice to quit and no rent has been collected since she suffered the injury to her foot three months ago.
“I have not been able to work and I don’t know when I will be get back on my feet,” Williams said, adding: “The doctor put pins in it and told me stay off the foot for six weeks.”
She explained that she once occupied a house in Nelson Street, The City which was also dilapidated and she moved to the Ivy because that house was a “little bit better.”
“I have left messages at the constituency office of my representative Trevor Prescod, asking that he come and see me but I have not been able to reach him. I am pleading with the NHC to assist me because I do not want to be on the streets,” Williams cried. (MB)
