- FILE
One of two houses that were built by Food For the Poor pilgrims in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth last year.
Leonardo Blair, Enterprise Reporter
A NUMBER of the nation's poor in a bid to avoid squatting, are being forced to pay as much as $4,000 in monthly rent to shady beneficiaries of houses built for free by the international charity Food For the Poor.
Custos of St. Mary Bobby Pottinger says the situation is being caused by an increased demand for these houses. However, some politicians like St. Mary's Deputy Mayor Richard Creary of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), claim that the goodwill of the organisation has been corrupted by political bias in the allocation of some of the houses to known People's National Party supporters who already have homes.
"It is something we have known of for some time," says Creary. "They (houses) were given out politically to some persons who had homes already. When Food For the Poor came here (St. Mary) recently to hand over a house, I personally spoke to them about it. People are upset but there is very little that we can do."
But the custos who was said to be involved with the allocation of Food For the Poor units in the parish said the allegation is unfounded.
"I don't deal with politics. I am not a politician, I am custos. I got 100 houses about two or three years ago and all I was involved with is helping the people gather the paperwork. I have another 60 or so houses to get soon and after this batch I don't want to do it anymore. I selected no one for houses, all I did was gather information."
THE REAL PROBLEM
He further explained that the real problem has nothing to do with politics but rather, a scarcity of affordable housing. "The number of people I turn away because of the demand," he sighed. "There are just not enough houses."
Meanwhile Dawn Manley, a single mother of four in St. Mary who currently rents one of the units was slapped in February with a notice to quit by her landlord, after she failed to come up with her $4,000 rent. The only reason she decided to pay rent for the Food For the Poor unit was because it was the next best option to squatting. Now, she is staring that option in the face again.
"Right now I don't have nowhere to go and this house was locked up for years when people like me who need it can't get it," says Manley.
She explained that she has already been to the parish council and Food For the Poor with the information and she was told that they would investigate. She showed The Sunday Gleaner receipts of her payments and the eviction notice. Still, nothing has been done to help her and the eviction notice remains in force.
Acting inspector for the poor for Kingston, who did not wish to give her name for the story, said she was upset that this was happening. "When we make recommendations for these houses in Kingston, it is the very, very destitute who we look out for. It should not be so. I don't agree with somebody having a unit when they are not in need. It is not for the greedy, it is for the needy," she said.
HOUSES ARE NOT FOR SALE
She explained that unlike St. Mary, that problem did not exist in Kingston. "Even if someone dies and leaves a Food For the Poor House, we try to find some other destitute person who might need it. Food For the Poor Houses are not for sale."
Clarendon's Inspector of Poor, Patricia Anderson, said the only problem she has with Food For the Poor Houses is that there just aren't enough to go around. "The demand is much, much more than the supply," she said. "Persons have been applying but because we have not been getting these houses readily, we can't take a lot of the applications."
Food For the Poor which donates these houses through several agencies such as the Poor Relief Department says it has only anecdotal evidence of the rent allegations. They warned however that the practice was illegal and anyone being asked to pay rent to live in the trademark houses should report it immediately. "In the last couple of years, the demand for Food for the Poor Houses has increased but they aren't allowed to rent these houses," explains investigations manager at Food For the Poor, Sylvester Anderson.
Name changed.
