By LEANDRA ROLLE 

Tribune Chief Reporter 

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

MONTHS after the government destroyed her home in the All Saints Way shanty town, Roselyn, a mother of six, is still struggling to find a place of her own to shelter her family.

The mother and her children, one of whom has special needs, were left homeless in January when their home was razed by demolition crews in the community.

They slept on the ground after the exercise because they had nowhere to go.

She told The Tribune yesterday that she and her family are now sleeping on a single mattress at a friend’s home in the same community.

“I just put some bed on the floor, and all sleep in the bed,” she said, adding that the mattress is too small to accommodate the large family, so some children are forced to sleep on the floor.

She said they also lack the necessities to live comfortably.

“I have no place to bathe,” she said. “No place to use the bathroom. No nothing. I bathe outside. My stuff packed outside. My clothes packed by somebody.”

The family is uncertain about how long they can remain there.

Roseyln said she is still looking for a new home. She said someone gave her $1,200 to find a place; another told her houses were near Cowpen Road.

The mother of six said she is not working, relies on others for help and is looking for a job. She said she is concerned about her future.

The government’s Unregulated Communities Task Force has overseen the demolition of more than 400 structures since the exercises began.

League of Haitian Pastors president Dr Jean Paul Charles told The Tribune that many shanty town residents who sought help from churches have found living accommodations. Others, he said, have left the country.

Government officials have repeatedly said that living accommodations will only be provided to Bahamians displaced by demolition activities.

It is unclear how many residents are still getting rental assistance. Social Services officials could not give this newspaper the latest numbers up to press time yesterday.