Woman pleads for HDC home after house fire

After losing her Josam Hill, Laventille home to fire last July, 44-year-old Cathrina Yearwood is calling for the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) to finally review her application and give her a home for her four children and grandson.

Yearwood visited Newsday’s office yesterday and claims she has been sending applications to the corporation since its precursor organisation the National Housing Authority (NHA) and says she is in desperate need of a home for her family. Yearwood, her children aged 28, 22, 17, 8 and three-year-old grandson are living with a close friend in Snake Alley, Laventille and may be asked to leave at any time as the house is in desperate need of renovation.

“I’ve also sent letters to my MP Fitzgerald Hinds and even the MP for Port of Spain North Stuart Young and I’m not even a member of his constituency.”

Yearwood, who works as a store clerk and does part-time catering, says while she is grateful for the assistance she is receiving from social welfare, the family is in need of a permanent home and claims the situation has caused her 17-year-old son to “fall-back” in his academics.

“It’s a really bad situation because my son normally does so well in school. I’m hoping the HDC finally looks into our application and gives us a home soon.”