Lisa Brathwaite is in urgent need of a new house for herself, her elderly mother and two children; one being autistic.
The Goddard’s Road, Carrington Village, St Michael house they are occuping is not only unsafe, but it is also a health and fire hazard.
The wiring of the relatively old house is deteriorating, the treacherous flooring is almost gone, and while areas of the roof are exposing the family to the elements, other parts are caving in. And they were sharing what is left of the house with wood ants.
Brathwaite, 35, said she was appealing for help because it was heart-wrenching to see her children and elderly mother living in such conditions.
She was made redundant from her job in May, and explained that she was not financially equipped to repair the house and even if she were, she could not, because she was not the owner of the land.
“My brother bought the house, and when he was buying it, they said that they would sell the house but not the land.
“Couple years after he purchased the house, they decided to sell the land, but he was not in a position to purchase it and I wasn’t either. So they sold it to somebody else. The person who bought the land told me that if I can get help to repair the house he would give me permission to stay on it.
“After the storm came [Tropical Storm Tomas last October], the roof came off and Urban [Development Commission] came and told me that in order for them to do anything to the house, I have to get permission from the owner of the land. I approached him and he told me he didn’t have the necessary papers, so he told me he would get back to me. Two weeks passed before I asked him about the letter giving me permission to use the land.”
Brathwaite said she was depending on National Insurance cheques to provide bread and pay the bills in the shelter.
Almost in tears, a frustrated Brathwaite said that in August, she visited the National Housing Corporation (NHC) to apply for a Government unit, noting that she was aware of the long wait she would have to endure before she could get one.
“I am not comfortable at all, everything just wrong with this house. Look at the kitchen, look at the roof. If I could have afforded to rent somewhere to live I would have, but I am not working. My ten-year-old son is autistic, so his safety is of great concern to me.
“He does not understand the concept of fear. If you barely miss and look away from him for a moment, he would open the door, which is too old to hold a proper bolt, and go outside. He does not know how to cross the road and he gets quite excited when he is outside. Sometimes people would see him outside and knowing he belongs to me, they would bring him back,” she said.
When contacted, an official at NHC told the WEEKEND NATION that they were unable to give out any information regarding Brathwaite’s application for a housing unit.
However, the individual indicated that if Brathwaite had made an application to NHC, she should have in her possession a receipt from the corporation.
