An elderly Mission Gap, Brittons Hill resident is appealing for help after her home was badly damaged by the November 16 heavy rains.
Joyce Forde has lived in her home all her life. She recently noticed cracks in her back wall.
She told Barbados TODAY that once she realised how serious the situation could become, she reached out to Member of Parliament Kirk Humphrey, who visited her home and promised to assist. Months passed after that initial visit, and then on Sunday, November 16, heavy rainfall caused her back wall to collapse, leaving her and her family exposed to the elements.
“I was in the bedroom sitting down, and I just heard a crumble, but I thought it was the buffet keys, but when you look around, it was the wall that cave in,” Forde recalled. She quickly called her children, who were nearby, and they put up a tarpaulin to cover the wall and her leaking roof. “I just called one of my children who was here and then I had to call the other two, so I had to put up the tarpaulin there,” she said.
Forde explained that she contacted the MP’s office the following day. “The next day I called the MP office and give the girl a message, but I haven’t seen Mr Humphrey. So then the next couple of days, a fellow from Urban [Development Commission] called me and told me he coming to look at the hole. He did come and check and measure up and everything.”
Following the visit, she said she was advised to find a temporary rental, which the office would assist with. “He told me the amount, he said it’s at least $1 000 that they will cover me for the rent,” she said.
Forde expressed concern about moving far with her great-grandson, who attends the nearby primary school. “I don’t want to go so far because [my grandson] is with Saint Paul’s. So I want somewhere closer.” She added that alternative options with family are limited. “My sister has a house in Wildey, but it’s not complete. I called her yesterday, and it’s only a two-bedroom, and it’s not that big.” She noted that her sons also live with her, meaning the entire household could be left homeless.
Accompanying Forde during Tuesday’s visit was Democratic Labour Party candidate for St Michael South, Nathaniel Boyce, who also has family in the area.
“Joyce is a family friend from the church, Dalkeith,” said Boyce “I do know some individuals, the elderly, and I’m a little upset because persons obviously reached out to me and in certain circumstances they have reached out to [Humphrey’s] office.”
He highlighted a wider concern for vulnerable residents in the area. “You’ve seen in the area other persons who just like Joyce who are elderly, and they are of a certain means, they can’t do that much, but they’re relying on the assistance from the government of the day, and it’s not so forthcoming. I can probably carry you to 15 houses that I’ve seen and persons there that need help… the roofs have holes, the walls are cracking, no light, no water, some have young children, so those persons for me need help right away.”
Boyce suggested that the government should assist the elderly by providing temporary housing if needed. “There’s an area next to the house, they said they can clear, you can clear and even put up a temporary structure that they can still function while you work on your house. I’ve seen it done in one or two other areas as well. I can tell you there are lots of houses in Brittons Hill that I’ve seen that are vacant… once they get the money in hand, they will probably say, ‘Alright, no problem’.”
Humphrey told Barbados TODAY he was familiar with Forde’s case. “The repairs to her house are substantial, so they’re not the kind of repairs that could be done while she still resides in the house. I know that UDC had reached out to her. I’ve also asked the resilience unit in my ministry to assist in finding a place for her. We pay not up to $1 000 in rent, we would pay up to $2 000.”
He noted the difficulty many families face after disasters. “It is often very difficult to find family members who are prepared to assist so that we will be able to fix her house immediately if there were a family member who was willing to take her. And I understand that everybody is dealing with their own issues, but I want to urge Barbadians to try to assist other family members, especially older family members, in situations such as this.”
But Humphrey criticised Boyce for using cases like Forde’s for political mileage “at the expense of somebody’s dignity.”
“Joyce is a lady that we’re helping,” said the MP. “She’s a very nice person. Her family are nice people, and we will continue to assist.” He confirmed that his office is willing to cover temporary accommodation above the stipulated budget to allow the UDC to carry out repairs.
louriannegraham@barbadostoday.bb
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