In 2013, I wrote an article to the Guardian which was headlined "Send homeless on a long vacation." In that letter several important issues were addressed regarding the health, safety and abuse that the law abiding citizens had to encounter on a daily basis from the homeless population.
To date, no vacations were given and this "Movement of the Homeless Population" is still left unattended, continues to expand to larger numbers, and getting out of control.
You have the social services ministry and the Port-of-Spain City Corporation, playing the blame game on each other and not engaging in fair dialogue to protect the school children and other citizens from verbal and physical abuse and many other disturbing factors created by the homeless population.
This is our capital city and these two agencies mentioned above have failed the city with their old, lazy and tied politics.
As a returning resident almost four years ago and one who worked with this population for over 12 years in the State of Florida, USA, I am a little surprised by the manner with which the homeless population is treated. Sure these guys are not choir boys, but they need help.
I had approached the social services ministry in 2013, but did not got too far in my quest to described the programme to the minister.
However, I wrote a proposal to the Port-of-Spain City Corporation outlining and giving detailed information on how to treat with this population, how to implement the programmes focusing on residential rehabilitation, behaviour and supported living just to name a few.
Recently, the Joint Select Committee held a meeting at Parliament building in Port-of-Spain, and what I read from the newspaper was politicians arguing about which agency's head count was accurate, which agency failed the homeless and who has the updated records of the homeless.
My friends of the Joint Select Committee, on this programme the real issue is acquiring a facility together with good support staff, volunteers and advocates.
That is the heart of the problem. You cannot conduct a head count on the streets of Port-of-Spain with homeless people, you can use an approximation. You do your head count on a daily basis when they are placed in a facility.
And as I am mentioning facility, the Joint Select Committee must know that number One Alexandra Place is available.
Can they make recommendations for the homeless to be housed at One Alexandra Place? Rent is being paid for that building for some time now, and it is not occupied. I recommend One Alexandra Place for the homeless.
The two agencies need to get experience staff involved, and staff with knowledge and background in this field to treat with and implement programmes for the homeless population.
The goal here is to train these guys and have them function once again as productive citizens.
Selwyn Byer
St James