The Social Services Unit of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) will conduct an assessment to determine whether emergency relief could be provided to Ramrajie Chance, the pregnant mother of five, who was told to leave a shelter on Friday after her home was flooded during Tropical Storm Bret.
In a telephone interview yesterday, Housing Minister Randall Mitchell confirmed that the HDC was aware of Chance’s plight and had committed to sending a team to the woman’s Penal home between today and Tuesday.
Mitchell said the HDC had taken note of other requests for emergency housing following Tropical Storm Bret’s lashing of T&T between Monday night and Tuesday morning.
He said the process involved a means test, an interview and home visit as well as other HDC selection criteria.
Mitchell said while a house was not a guarantee for Chance, it was clear that she was in need of other social services and the HDC’s unit would, in addition to determining whether the family qualify for emergency housing, make referrals for them to access services and intervention from other arms of the State.
Four of Chance’s five children do not attend school because of the family’s inability to afford it.
Chance and her five children were rescued from rising flood waters and taken to a shelter on Tuesday but were told by officials from the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) that they would have to return home as the building was needed by the village council to carry out their usual activities.
When questioned, PDRC chairman Allen Sammy described Chance as one of many who needed help, but made no commitments to assist.
The family’s outhouse was filled with water and the galvanise roof and walls were still shifting with the wind, while Chance feared that scorpions, caimans and snakes would pose a greater threat to the children in the wake of the storm.
After speaking to the Guardian, Chance’s common-law husband, Sameer Ali, called the official at the corporation and was told they would be allowed to stay two more nights. They have been giving no assurances what would happen after last night.
Ali said he will go back home but that the children would be at risk.
“I just need a little bit of material, ten sheet of ply and some galvanise. I’m living there seven years now. I would be thankful if anybody could assist me a little bit and I will go back to my place.”
Up to last night, Ali said the children were dry and happy but feared taking them back to their home.
“If I carry them in that cold it will not be nice for them. The way how the place open if it rains it will go through the two or three sheet of galvanise and the ply. I would be grateful for a little bit of help.”
The Guardian also spoke to Chance’s MP, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar following a press conference yesterday afternoon.
Asked what kind of help Persad-Bissessar would be able to provide for her constituent, she said she would look at what kind of representation could be made for the family.
She also called on good samaritans to come forward and assist the family with their needs.
Persad-Bissessar said Government needed to review its policy on aiding squatters after a natural disaster and described as “wicked” any policy that refused help for such people.
GRANT INFO
EMERGENCY SHELTER
RELIEF GRANT
The grant available to citizens during emergencies is the Emergency Shelter Relief Grant and has a value of $15,000. The process to access the grant is as follows:
Applicants must provide
a) Copy of national identification or birth certificate
b) Letter addressed to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development PS from MP or councillor recommending that the grant be given
c) Photographs of damage (if possible) or copy of Damage Assessment Form from Disaster Management Unit of the corporation
d) Evidence of property ownership eg deed or affidavit of declaration
e) Quotations from any hardware for repair materials