Tarodale single father pleads for house

A single father of two is asking for help after he was locked out of a dilapidated and abandoned Housing Development Corporation (HDC) house that he moved into a year ago.

On Friday, HDC officials accompanied by police changed the door locks, locking Chris Perryman out of the two-bedroom house at Spring Hill, Tarodale, San Fernando. The house does not have electricity.

Perryman is pleading for a house for himself and his two children, a 15-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl.

"This house was abandoned for over six years. I am willing to pay for the house. I applied twice with the HDC last year August, and the year before that, for a house. Up to now, I cannot get a reference number.

"We have nowhere to go. When we moved in here at the beginning of 2020, about five sheets of galvanise were missing from the roof. I spent money for that and I also bought z purlins (fittings for a roof)."

He recalled that he was a few houses away on Friday midday, when a resident alerted HDC officials and the police came "to put him out."

Fearful of being arrested, he did not meet with them and returned to the house after they left.

Perryman said he and his children previously lived with his mother, also in Tarodale, in cramped conditions with a total of 12 people.

The children were visiting the relative’s home doing online school classes.

"I hustle iron and cut yards to survive. My wacker, power washer, hose and all my stuffs are in the house. Police even locked the three puppies (born December 6, 2020) in the house," Perryman said.

He eventually took the animals out through a window.

Perryman said he last visited HDC’s head office in Port of Spain on Thursday for an update on his reference number without luck. He previously visited the San Fernando East constituency office for help for a hosue. He said staff advised him to get a reference number from HDC.

A female relative told Newsday, "To the eyes of some people, what he did was wrong. But no one was living there."

On Sunday, Newsday contacted the San Fernando East MP Brain Manning, who said, "I will check with my team to see what applications we have on record regarding Mr Perryman and his family to the HDC."

"As you know, the constituency office can only make requests to the HDC. Permission to occupy these houses rests solely with the HDC based on its screening process."

Saying these are very challenging times, Manning added: "We will look into this matter to see where we can assist."