Even as Government spends $2.5 million monthly to secure HDC properties, bold-faced squatters and criminals have moved into unoccupied HDC units in South and central Trinidad, terrorising tenants and depriving bonafide applicants of a chance at home ownership.At Tarodale Gardens, Ste Madeleine, unoccupied houses have become a haven for fugitives and drug dealers. Residents of Stony Hill said a house owned by murdered mom, Diane Williams is now overgrown with weeds and used by criminals for clandestine activities.
Williams was beheaded and mutilated along with her ten-year-old son Shaquille Morgan on July 20, 2010. Their corpses were chopped up and thrown in garbage bags at the Forres Park dump in Claxton Bay. Residents said each night, strangers could be seen trekking through the bushes to enter Williams' house, which has not yet been reclaimed by the HDC.At least two houses in the area are said to be rented to Guyanese and Jamaican nationals who work at security firms in south Trinidad.
One woman who requested anonymity said: "Tarodale is now known as Little Laventille. Some of these criminals are using these HDC houses to sell drugs and guns. The HDC cannot do anything about it because these things happen at nights, right under the nose of the police. Officials come to the area but they do not know what is going on."She explained that it was not unusual for gunshots to be heard. Another pensioner of Thompson Gardens, Ste Madeleine, located on the border of Tarodale Gardens, said the area was "vicious".
"People walking through your property and you cannot do anything about it. HDC is preventing us from fencing our place. If you only tell these criminals anything at all, they are likely to shoot you or cuss you."A drive through Green Hill showed impassable roads and loitering youths, many of whom could be seen playing cards under the HDC houses. Some of the youths appeared intoxicated and one man who identified himselfas "Ras," said many youths had no choice but to commit crime because there were no more jobs at Cepep.
A dangerous place to live
He said it was customary for the thieves to steal anything that was left lying outside unattended. "They also breaking into your houses if you not at home," Ras said.A businessman, who requested anonymity, said over the past five years, Tarodale Gardens has become a dangerous place to live. He said he gave up his job at a petrochemical company to stay at home with his wife and children at their businessplace.
"Right now I cannot get stocks at all because they robbed the delivery vans so they stopped coming here. The criminals hijacked the sweet drink truck, and the Sunshine van. The garbage truck and the bus stopped coming as well. Life has taken a turn for the worst because of these criminals. We need to reclaim our community," the businessman said.He called on the HDC, police and the Government to do thorough investigations into the activities at Tarodale Gardens.
Shady tenants at Golconda
Meanwhile, several residents of Ridgewood Gardens, Golconda, also claimed that suspicious people pretending to be legitimate home owners, have also began grabbing houses.One man who requested anonymity said he collected his keys from HDC and went to his new home. However, the keys could not fit the locks. He was later told that a family had arrived at the same unit the day before and had changed the locks, cleaned out and left. The legitimate owner who showed his official HDC approval letter and T&TEC transfer papers, said he initially believed that there was a mix up at HDC. However, another neighbour said the illegitimate tenants fled quickly upon hearing that the house was allocated.
They were seen tampering with the locks of another unoccupied house an hour later. When the Sunday Guardian arrived on the scene, a woman showed a photocopied HDC letter which bore an advanced date. When questioned about this, she insisted that the letter was given to her by the HDC. The document did not bear a stamp. She declined to provide a copy of the letter to this reporter.Two other women who were seen scrutinising unoccupied houses in the area, said they were unsure which houses were allocated to them. They drove off without showing any proof of ownership.
Residents of Ridgewood, who have been the victims of robbery, burglary and petty theft have called on the HDC to provide permission to allow them to fence their properties.Many of the residents have called for a boost in security patrols.A security officer, who requested anonymity, said it was strange that three different sets of people were seen entering one unoccupied unit within the same week."Something is just not right. We do not know if these people are legitimate or not. Either way, it is something that must be investigated," he added.Another resident said she was disturbed about leaving her home to go to work because thieves had broken into her house on two occasions.
Moonilal vows to catch law breakers
Meanwhile, Oropouche MP Dr Roodal Moonilal said discussions were being held with security consultants to introduce a technological IT feature to verify, in real time, the bonafide occupants of HDC units. This, he said, will reduce the likelihood of house grabbing.He explained that legitimate home owners will be identified using a special pin code. The Minister also warned that anyone who is found breaking and entering HDC property will face jail sentences or fines.Acknowledging that HDC is currently battling with "house grabbing", Moonilal said: "I have been in touch with the security department, in Ridgewood, Tarodale and Edinburg 500. We have increased in-house security patrols, and we have also sought to undertake a detailed inspection of HDC estates to remove house grabbers."
Asked what was the cost of such inspections, Moonilal said: "Right now we can do it with our in-house resources so there is no additional cost. But depending on the extent, we may have to increase the external security component to supplement the regular security source."He issued a stern warning to perpetrators saying: "We will not tolerate lawlessness within the HDC estates. I am asking those people who are illegally occupying homes to kindly vacate urgently so that people who have been selected and allocated and are deserving of such units, can be placed in those units."
Moonilal added: "There is a pattern of lawlessness emerging as it relates to land grabbing and now house grabbing. This is a development that we have noted and will not accept this. We are quite prepared to act within the law to remove these persons."He noted that the issue of house grabbing was brought to his attention a few weeks ago and already five illegal occupants were evicted.The Minister said those who break and enter HDC homes will face jail sentences and fines for trespassing, breaking and entering and defacing public property.
Asked why the Government was spending so much money on inspections and security instead of allocating the units, Moonilal said there were setbacks because of poor waste management systems and faulty infrastructure. However, he said by December, between 3,000 to 4,000 HDC units will be distributed at Retrench, Wellington Gardens, Debe, Real Spring Gardens in Curepe, Victoria Keys in Diego Martin and Princes Town.He also said new housing projects have also started at Union Hall, Egypt Village, Pineapple Gardens and Fairways in Princes Town.
JOHN: CRACKDOWN ONGOING AT TARODALE
Meanwhile HDC's managing director Jearlean John said a crackdown has been ongoing at Tarodale to weed out delinquent tenants and illegal occupants."We are going through Tarodale like a fine tooth comb. Over the months, we have sent letters and we are moving in full accordance of the law," John said.She explained that she has already instructed head of security Trevor James not to allow illegal occupants to go free."They must be charged because breaking and entering is a crime. Many times when they enter the houses, they vandalise the property and the HDC has to fix it. We will be dealing these people," John said.
From $9M to $19M...HDC revenuedoubles fromdebt collection
She noted that since the HDC embarked on its debt collection drive, revenue had doubled from $9 million to $19 million monthly.Regarding the illegal occupation of Diane Williams' home, John said the HDC's Legal Department was moving towards acquisition of the property. She noted that house grabbing at Ridgewood Gardens is not happening on an ongoing basis.John said evictions have been continuous and all illegal occupants will face the full extent of the law.