Mayor: Land for homeless centre gone

GATES will be placed at the Riverside Plaza carpark for the socially displaced after land being sought for a homeless centre fell through, Port of Spain Mayor Joel Martinez reveals. “We have to find a mechanism to rid the homeless from being on the streets once and for all.”

Speaking to Newsday, Mayor Martinez said there was a piece of land designated for a homeless centre had been placed with the Social Development Ministry but it appeared as though the ministry lost the land back to the Housing Development because of the redevelopment of Port of Spain.

He said he decided to work with the ministry and the Archbishop of Port of Spain and NGOs to “do something” with the Riverside carpark, which is beneath the Centre for the Socially Displaced and where the socially displaced congregate. Martinez said he was embarking on a programme together with the Bankers Association of TT to install rail gates at the bottom of the carpark in the open area.

“Currently it is unsightly with a lot of homeless going under there and purchasing drugs or acquiring it.” Martinez explained the plan is to seal off the area and clean it up to allow the people who feed homeless on the street to now go to that area and feed the homeless in a secure environment.

“While doing that we will encourage the homeless to move along to head towards Riverside Plaza carpark to ensure that we get them off the streets in a meaningful and humane manner.” He said from this week the gates will begin to be manufactured and prefabricated in segments.

Martinez added that the gates will be installed as they are fabricated and, to save on the cost of overtime, welding will be done when the gates are all ready to be erected.

He said the gates should take another few weeks before being completed. “Hopefully we can have it erected before the Christmas season is upon us.”

Last July Martinez announced a move-along campaign to have the police keep the homeless from loitering and sleeping on the streets. Asked for an update Martinez said the city just received an additional batch of police officers following a passing out parade last week in San Fernando and he will have them work the streets with senior officers to ensure the move-along policy is effective.

“It has to be done as the City of Port of Spain requires that the homeless not sleep on the streets any more. There will be a place for them and will be clean and the environment good.” Martinez also urged citizens not to individually feed the homeless on the street.

“If they continue to do it we will have to put something else in place.” Asked if this meant a fine Martinez said he will first speak with the NGOs.

“In their minds they doing something good. If they consider it doing good then let’s do it better. I am sure these NGOs will understand that we all want betterment for our society.” He said homelessness in Port of Spain was becoming chronic and the Social Development Ministry has to take the responsibility to assist the city in ensuring the homeless are actually removed from the streets.

“We want to do it in the most humane manner. But it cannot be humane have them sleeping on the streets for how many years.” He added: “We must ensure people feel safe and comfortable walking the streets and don’t see an unsightly human being lying down side of road with flies buzzing around them, and defecating and urinating anywhere among the streets of Port of Spain.

The Social Development Ministry recently did a count of the socially displaced in the city but Martinez said the information has not been shared as yet and he awaited the report.