‘Give us the money,we will fix our homes’

Tempers flared and emotions ran high; voices were raised and tears flowed.

The town meeting held in Greenvale, La Horquetta, on Thursday night, where residents raised concerns about their home security after the area was covered in floodwaters over two weeks ago, was anything but calm.

Housing Minister Edmund Dillon and Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan, accompanied by representatives of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and the Health Ministry, faced the full wrath of the residents, who made demands as to how they wanted their losses to be addressed.

Many of the residents said they lost everything during the floods, which turned the housing complex into a roiling, murky death trap.

Residents were lucky to escape with just the clothes on their backs.

Dillion was immediately shut down when he told them the HDC would repair any damage their homes suffered during the flood.

“Give we the money, we don’t want all you to fix anything. We will take our time and fix our homes. You all want to fix it like the way we get it, halfway done. We don’t want the HDC to fix nothing,” one woman shouted.

Another man questioned whether their mortgages would be reduced, given the extent of the damage. He said the value of their homes would obviously drop and it was unfair for residents to pay the full cost when they were also told they would only receive a fraction of what the houses were insured for.

Money was not the only issue residents were concerned about. Several asked time and again whether Government had any immediate plans.

They were not impressed with any of the answers they received.

Sinanan said the authorities were looking for solutions.

“It is impossible for me to tell you that you won’t get flooded out when you get 14 inches of rain in two and a half days,” he said. “We are evaluating the area.”

Shaqa Wallace, who said he served with the US army in Iraq, said nothing about the rescue efforts during the floods suggested a co-ordinated drive.

“During Independence Day we have this big display showing off all our military and defence force, but during this flood, people, we not ready yet. I have served in Iran and I heard bombs and guns go off, but if you really want to see me scared, just let the rain fall on my rooftop.

“You must have empathy for the residents and put yourselves in their shoes to truly understand what they went through.”

Leticia Church was overcome with anger when she recalled how she had to fight single-handed to rescue elderly people from their homes.

“My street only has old people in wheelchairs. Water to my waist, and I had no help.

“I don’t know who felt the need for Greenvale to become a gated community. We need an access road to La Horquetta, because there is no other way out.

“Don’t sit there smug in your nice shirts. I want to put you in these homes when the place floods so you can experience what we went through.

“You see these two knees – hah, the blood of Jesus. Jesus will give you sleepless nights from now on, He will make you grieve. If you don’t come in here and do what you have to do, then we will pull a lawsuit,” she said.

A woman named Priscilla, who has a rental unit, said all they were hearing was old talk and no solution.

“My unit has roaches and bugs and who knows what else.

“We are the political football between the UNC and the PNM. I don’t care who built and who gave out.

“ I am a rental unit, HDC is my landlord so I know I have nothing to get. HDC, you all have no compassion whatsoever. Just imagine, I up and down trying to sort out my life, and when I asked you for a payment history, you know what? You charge me,” she said, shaking her head.

Another woman became so distraught she broke down in tears.

“You all coming here and telling us that you will give us $20,000. What the hell $20,000 can do for me? The clothes I wearing is what people take out of their closet and give me. The drawers I wearing is not mine.

“You all can leave here and go home comfortable to your family and a nice meal. We have nothing, everything gone,” she screamed.

Natasha Tom did not want compensation nor repairs, she wanted to move house.

“I don’t know about anybody else, but I want to be relocated. My mother is 77 years old, and whether it is dry or rainy, she does not want to come back here. I cannot afford to pay a mortgage here and pay rent in another place.”

Dillon said relocation was not an option at present.