HDC chair: Rule-breaking leads to anarchy

Housing Development Corporation (HDC) chairman Noel Garcia said the organisation’s managers were doing their jobs when they evicted illegal tenants from apartments at Old St Joseph Road, Piccadilly, Port of Spain. He said anarchy could prevail if rules were not followed.

Five families, comprising 18 people, including ten children, were evicted on April 21 for illegally occupying the apartments, after being served with eviction notices on April 12. The families admitted to illegally occupying the apartments.

Speaking to Newsday on Monday, Garcia said the management’s job was to ensure there was order and the rules are followed.

“If people are occupying places illegally, you give them notice and they refuse to move, what do you do? Be complicit in lawbreaking? Stand idly by and allow people to break the rules?

"You can’t just break into an apartment, occupy it, the HDC tells you to move and you refuse, and expect to have public sympathy. It does not work so.

“If we want to be a country, the first thing is to start observing the rules. When everybody jumps the line, and everybody thinks it’s a free-for-all, then anarchy will rule.

"It’s the equivalent of a traffic light. You’re busy, I’m busy, and if the light is red, does it mean because I’m late I break the traffic light? No. You abide by the rules."

Asked if the corporation would provide alternative housing for the families, he said he would not promote rule-breaking.

“You have to be very careful. What we are setting up is, people break the rules, they jump in front the TV and evoke public sympathy, so you give them alternative accommodation.

"There are 190,000 people on the database. If everybody were to behave in that way, what we would have? Mass chaos and anarchy.

"If everybody who applies for a house feels they can break into an HDC house, what do we expect? Anarchy.

"And as long as I’m chairman, I will not encourage anarchy.”

Former housing and urban development minister Dr Roodal Moonilal condemned the HDC’s actions in a WhatsApp response.

“It is inhumane for the HDC to be throwing out anyone from units at this stage of economic destitution, unemployment and poverty. I call on the HDC to hold its hand and have dialogue with the affected persons and their representatives. I am prepared to assist if necessary.

“In my own constituency I have cases where I am appealing to the HDC to exercise compassion and care in treating with occupiers. Even if the HDC may be on legal grounds we must allow our human instinct to ascend and act with respect and consideration for families, particularly the children.”

On Sunday, Port of Spain South MP Keith Scotland said he would speak to the HDC on Monday.

Newsday was not able to get an update on the situation from him up to press time.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development said there were three grants which could be accessed to address citizens' housing needs. Those are the Home Improvement Grant, Home Improvement Subsidy, and Home Purchase or Home Construction Subsidy. It noted that people must be homeowners/property owners to access grants and subsidies it offered.