'Shanty towns an explosion waiting to happen'

By DANA SMITH

Tribune Staff Reporter

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

THE government’s Shanty Town Report only “scratches the surface” of a much bigger problem that is an “explosion about to happen,” according to Deputy Chairman of the FNM Dr Duane Sands, who warned of potential, severe health hazards.

Although congratulating the Ministry of Environment and Housing for their efforts, he said the report has “huge emotional appeal,” but no “sustainable” solution and questioned what exactly the government plans to do about the poor conditions described in the report.

He also attributed the shanty towns to the country’s “collective, neglected, national approach to immigration.”

He said: “What we’re seeing is an explosion about to happen.

“Whether it’s a cholera outbreak, whether it is some infectious disease problem, whether it’s a human catastrophe, it’s difficult to say; but squalor leads to disease. It’s a simple public health model.”

“We have created these environments that incubate horrible, horrible public health challenges. Not only health challenges, but social challenges. We have turned a blind eye to it, for decades.”

While the information contained in the report might “create fear, horror, or outrage” to somebody reading it – “there’s really nothing new or anything earth-shaking in that report,” Dr Sands said.

“Quite frankly, the most that it does is to create what is probably an immediate response of ‘oh this is terrible, this is horrible’... The real question, as a country, what honestly are we prepared to do about it?”

He wanted to know if government agencies would now bring the areas up to code.

“Are they going to displace these individuals? And if you displace them where are you going to put them? Are you going to clean them up? Are you going to consider them toxic waste grounds?

“Are you going to provide healthcare screenings for all of the people that live there? Are you going to provide safe electrification? Are you going to provide plumbing fixtures and plumbing facilities for all of the inhabitants?”

Dr Sands said what we’re looking at now with the country’s shanty town problem is “the final common pathway of our collective, neglected, national approach to immigration.”

“And yet again,” he added, “now we’re going to create a story that has huge emotional appeal, but has no sustainable impact on the problem. Are we going to stop the immigration? Are we going to seriously address the issue of housing?”

A number of the persons who live in those communities are Bahamians and have a legal right to be in the country, Dr Sands said, they just cannot afford to live anywhere else.

And, with the government’s Shanty Town Report showing that 93 per cent of water samples failed, he noted potential cross-contamination of homes that are located close to the towns.

“The contamination of the well-water impacts not only the homes at the Shanty Towns,” he said. “In some place you have very expensive homes, within 10 or 15 or 20 feet – that is certainly the way it is in Elizabeth, you have condominiums, you have townhouses, you have free standing dwellings that are literally 15 or 20 feet away from these shanty towns.

“We don’t really understand those things. We stick our heads in the sand and pretend this has no immediate impact on me. I may not like the smell, I may not like the sight, but it doesn’t impact me – but it absolutely impacts me.

“Having had a left and restrictive policy as it relates to immigration, we now have a huge population of individuals who work in this country, who provide the menial labour, but many of them are living in sub-standard conditions and we think it only affects them. In reality its affect all of us... We’ve got a huge problem. The fix is going to be a lot more challenging than we thought, but we have no choice, we got to deal with this.”

He added: “Rounding up Haitians on camera is not the solution to this problem. When I look at this report, it’s a 78 or so page report and you might think it’s a wonderfully comprehensive thing. It’s a good start, but you need to be a hell of a lot more comprehensive in the approach as to what to do, when to do it, how to do it, who’s going to pay for it, what the goals are, what the time-line is going to be – and fundamentally, the key is going to be to stop the continuous influx of illegals, because communities are going to continue to flourish, they’re going to continue to thrive.”

Comments

TalRussell says...

Comrade Duane is it your solution to want the Christie government's agencies to now "bring the Shanty Towns up to code?" How can you endorse the more than 15 illegal communities that have sprung up around our Nassau Town alone. not including those in Abaco, Exuma, Andros, Eleuthera, to become "coded?" These residents are not living there for free. The land registry can quickly guide the authorities to any landlord collecting "illegal" rents. The media some time back had made mention, how one of the known Preacherman's was collecting rents from his managed cesspit? As a medical doctor and an influential red shirts, how could you not call for the immediate bulldozing of these communities, which are no more than a bunch off illegal health and crime cesspits. It's not if but how long, before they are "permitted' by the government of the day, to destroy Atlanta's and Baha Mar's economics, but when?

Posted 4 July 2013, 12:13 p.m. Suggest removal

John says...

The existence of shanty towns in this country and the fact that more and more Bahamians are moving into these 'villages' confirms there is severe hardship and a dire need for affordable housing in the country. There is, in fact a low income housing crisis in New Providence and parts of Abaco and Grand Bahama. For the government to move in and rapidly dismantle these shanty towns and destroy the structures will create even more hardship for the poorer Bahamian and increase the incidence of homelessness in the Bahamas. And while this may be targeted at illegal immigrants it may hurt the lower income Bahamians even more. Since many illegal immigrants are usually single adults three or four of them can pool together and afford a $600.00 apartment. This may be more difficult for a Bahamian who has a family and only one or maybe two adults in the family who are working. And when you go to places like Jamaica, Haiti, parts of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, what we are calling Shanty Towns here are commonplace all over those countries. In some of those places more than 50% of the populations live in Shanties. And at least here there is light, cable and running water. Then one may argue that those countries are impoverished compared to a thriving Bahamas, but unfortunately, that is not the case because in the last 5-6 years a very large number of Bahamians have lost their jobs, their business and even their homes. So the 'climb-out' of these shanty towns must be a long, planned and sustained effort as opposed to a short-term destructive one that would place more hardship persons whose only crime is to be poor. Government may also need to consider going in and offering sanitary assistance to some of these residents, in the short term, until they are able to move out and find alternative and affordable housing.

Posted 4 July 2013, 12:16 p.m. Suggest removal

TalRussell says...

Let's stop making excuses for giving landlords, scapegoat reasons to continue to collect rents from these health and crime cesspits. There IS NO excuse for not sending in the bulldozer to demolish each and every Shanty Town. We arrest and send our poor to jail for years over petty crimes but not the landlords, collecting the rents from the "Shametowns?"Why not? Why are many business enterprises allowed to operate their shops in these same "Shametown?" My Dear Comrades allowing "Shametowns" is not the solution for dealing with poverty, no family paychecks coming in, or low cost housing. Comrade Duane you are now included with all those who have for years dealt with this problem ... ass backwards. I had hoped that by Bahamaland's 40th birthday, we would have have finally outgrown, doing your "number 2" in some backyard hole or bucket. Maybe not?

Posted 4 July 2013, 12:23 p.m. Suggest removal

lazybor says...

The majority of those living there CANNOT afford a normal house! This is the "excuse"!<img src="http://tinyurl.com/c7l9ck6" width="1">

Posted 4 July 2013, 2:14 p.m. Suggest removal

John says...

Anyone that calls for the immediate bulldozing of communities that thousands of persons call home, be it the Shanty Town or Old Fort Bay, without thought or consideration for the welfare of those persons that live there, or the ripple effect such drastic and inhumane action will have on the Bahamas, internally or internationally is more than slightly touched in the head. America is today celebrating more than 200 plus years of independence, and they too have to deal with their "Shanty Towns". Back in the early 1900's they created the 'projects' for working class American while the more affluent citizen was able to flee to the country and suburbs and luxury living with their white picket fences and freshly mowed lawns. Now they realize that when you pack human beings into tight living quarters and stack them on top of one another, like sardines, they will begin to act like animals and turn against society. By the same token the results will not be positive if you bulldoze the only place thousands of people call home without giving them an alternative place to stay. Suggesting this, even does not involve common sense, much less compassion. While government's low cost rental units were a failure because of the high levels of destruction by the occupants that made these units costly to operate, not every Bahamian will qualify for low cost housing. One other method of making housing affordable for the marginalized may be "government assisted rentals, where government makes up the difference between what a low cost rental costs and what the person, Bahamians of course, can afford to pay.

Posted 4 July 2013, 4:28 p.m. Suggest removal

Bahamianpride says...

The Shanty towns are a disgrace.. Tal is right.. The money exist to address this situation, and there are many who profit from these cesspits... There is a limitted amount of space on these islands and no room for substandard housing.. Billions come through the country each year and what i see is a failure on the part of the government to encourage modern affordable housing for the poor.. These structures should be knocked down, and the land seized, if the people staying there are legal Bahamian Citizens, place these people in temporary housing until an affordable housing is available.. If they are illegal immigrants or immigrants send them home, we have to help our own people first before we can worry about the citizens of other countries.. Why are we so concern about the citizens of other countries destroying our landscape with santy towns.. If u come to this country have the means to support yourself and make a contribution or leave.. Tell them they can come back when they are ready to contribute to making the Bahamas a better place to live, not add to our problems.

Posted 4 July 2013, 2:36 p.m. Suggest removal

banker says...

It's Bahamians who are renting them space for their shanty and making money off them. There are many many Bahamians squatting in sub-standard or abandoned buildings, because they cannot afford any better.

Posted 4 July 2013, 3:12 p.m. Suggest removal

TalRussell says...

Comrade Banker you are missing my whole point. Did I say to send in the bulldozers in the middle of the night? Didn't think so. For all living there in this country as illegals we have no obligation to house them. Period. End of the conversation on that mute point. For our own Comrade natives, be they new "citizens" or not, who are living there, they should be given firm notice to find elsewhere as their abode, before you send in the bulldozers. If you don't think you have the heart to voluntarily move the bulldozers in, while the government still can be as humane as possible about it, they damn well will act, when forced to not only bulldoze complete communities but quarantine the many thousands who have contracted some deadly disease. Tell me Comrade Banker, what is so cruel about the government acting to protect the health interests for all citizens, residents and visitors? They have all sworn to protect the sovereignty of our Bahamaland. So, do it. Am i right?

Posted 4 July 2013, 4:59 p.m. Suggest removal

John says...

When one can walk into his home at night or daytime, for that matter, click on lights, air conditioners, cable tv and all the comforts of luxury living, or at least living a good life, his opinion will be much different from a person who is struggling to make ends meet, or just trying to get on his feet and the only thing saving him from sleeping out under the elements and the bugs and the robbers is a Shanty Town. Firstly we must separate the existence of the shanty town issue from the problem of illegal immigration. While the two may exist together, the shanty town problem is one that developed out of a need for lower cost housing for a growing segment of our population. In fact what we look down and scorn at, here in the Bahamas, (because we think we have outgrown it) is the norm in living accommodations for more than half the people living in the Caribbean, Trinidad, Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. And if you visit Mexico and South America, Chile, Colombia, Honduras and Brazil many of the homes do not have electricity, running water or indoor plumbing. and they are clumped together, not unlike they are here in the shanty towns or they are sprawled out over the countryside or on the mountainside. Does it make it right? Not really but if it is all people can afford to call home then what do you do to solve the problem? When many of the wooden clapboard houses were condemned and destroyed back in the 1990's, many marginalized Bahamians were .displaced, thrown out on the streets and some never recovered. We must realize that we have many young people come here from the Family Islands each year in search of employment. Not only are these persons expected to earn a living for themselves, but they are also expected to send monies home on a regular basis to help out their families on the island, just as the Haitians and Jamaicans do. When they have to go find a $600.00 apartment and pay for all the amenities this is beyond impossible since many of them start out earning less than $200.00 a week. And as for those who suggest that the shanty towns be demolished and the 'illegals' be sent back, then whet do you do with the hundreds of children that were born in these villages? They cannot be sent back to Haiti or Jamaica. Rather than seeking to demolish properties that are occupied, government should seek to assist in creating affordable accommodations for low income people. Being poor is not a crime and for those who read, the bible says poor people will always be among us. John3:16

Posted 4 July 2013, 7:08 p.m. Suggest removal

banker says...

Very cogent, intelligent reasoned response. You sir, have it right.

Posted 4 July 2013, 7:26 p.m. Suggest removal

ThisIsOurs says...

I agree with most and the last part especially. If you are being paid to solve the problem you cannot throw your hands in the air and say its unsolvable, on the other hand you do not say tearing them down *immediately* is the solution. That "may" have been an answer when the first house popped up, but as Alfred Grey knows, this **is** the way we do things. We let problems fester, only when they are completely out of control do we address them.

The first thing they need is an understanding of exactly who is living there and what their needs are so they can gauge the size of the problem. That may be what this report was supposed to provide, but as Dr Sands points out it doesn't go deep enough. At the same time they need to get a handle on illegal immigration to ensure that while they're addressing the problem it isn't getting any bigger. You absolutely have to address corruption all through the service, at the ministerial level as well. If you have a minister who is accepting bribes or strong arming contractors, you have to let him go. This is a big plan and it needs big people. Not small power grabbing half men.

You know already that you will have to move these people to a govt assisted location, there's no other way. So you look at whether its feasible to start an interim site while you're performing this census.

All of this goes on while you have to rein in spending/control the debt, address day to day challenges, crime, health, tourism, education.

It will require a **team** effort. If the team you have now isnt working, you need to man up and put together a functioning TEAM, its the only way you can do the heavy lifting. Bring in the opposition and Branville. At any point over the next 15yrs they may be in charge and you want to ensure that everybody knows what the plans are **and** have agreed in principal to the track that is being taken, after all they will have to maintain it.

My personal fanciful notion: Whatever you construct, make it aesthetically pleasing, include **real** green spaces, well groomed, not just a tree here and there. Give people some pride in where you put them, make them want to keep it that way. Inspire them to keep it that way.

Posted 4 July 2013, 9:30 p.m. Suggest removal

TalRussell says...

You seem have an issue with with loading their children on the same boats and planes you hire to send their parents back to their own homeland?

Posted 4 July 2013, 7:48 p.m. Suggest removal

SP says...

I am sick and tired of the PLP & FNM "talking" about this situation! Where will they go?...If they are illegal send their ass's back home. If they are legal or Bahamians, make them do what everyone else does...pay rent in normal areas.

PLP & FNM continue blaming landlords and and employers for the illegal immigrant problem because they rent and hire illegals. However, it is governments failure to enforce the law that allow these people to rent to and hire illegals.

If government put laws in place that severely punish landlords and employers for renting to or hiring illegals, and ENFORCE THE LAW, the whole problem would disappear overnight.

The country is under siege and damn near takeover by nasty, disgusting, lawless Haitians and the PLP and FNM continue standing around talking stupidness.

To resolve the issue government simply needs to ENFORCE THE LAW.

Stop taking BS and get it DONE!

Posted 4 July 2013, 11:01 p.m. Suggest removal

Bahamianpride says...

What my fellow Bahamians don't understand is its not about heartlessness, its about compassion for your own people.. It is cruel to allow poor people to inhabit these conditions and regardless what other countries allow, the true unholiness is to not encourage and support those in Poverty to improve there living conditions.. I grew up in these shanty situations and its a degrace to allow fellow Bahamians People to live in them.. The Billions that come through this country has not been properly invested in the Bahamian People, there is just not that many of us.. Whether it be political corruption or whatever, it makes no sense in the year 2013 in the Bahamas that people should live that way... The true inhumanity is those who would justify this as a worldwide occurance, the world, haiti, jamaica is not my problem, I AM A BAHAMIAN AND ONE WITH SELF WORTH.. YOU FEED AND HOUSE YOUR OWN BEFORE U WORRY ABOUT OTHER PEOPLES PROBLEMS, ANYTHING ELSE IS SUICIDAL.. It is not our inhumanity for the Haitian or anyone else its our love for ourselves, I want to help the world but if it came down to a decision of whether my kids eat or your kids eat, my kids are going to eat first.. After they eat your kids can have the left overs, so if we have some left overs send it to haiti or other countries to help them.. I don't get this self sacrificing suicidal ultruism we live by because it has no real virtue and shows no compassion for the Poor.. Help poor Bahamians help themselves so they can no longer be impoverished, now thats real compassion and morality... I dont want poor bahamian kids living in disease infested shanty towns, it destroys there self worth and breeds crime, put a stop to it, invest the money into education, training, housing for Bahamian... Lets stop feeling bad for other people until all of our people are living in a respectable condition, it can be done, there is just not that many of us... I listen to people complain about the homeless, Poor, and give all these bleeding heart theories, but when i ask if they care so much why dont the take one home they shut up quick..

Posted 5 July 2013, 7:58 a.m. Suggest removal

Bahamianpride says...

think about it like this, imagine a life boat that can only hold 20 maximum compacity, there is 50 more that want to get on...Do u put the extra 50 on and sink and all die or do u help that 20 that are lets say your family members first... It is not because u do not have compassion, or moral virtue that u make the decisions, its because u are saving those that u valued the most... Now when u get to safety it is then your obligation to get help immediately to the others...

Posted 5 July 2013, 8:17 a.m. Suggest removal

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