By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE Ministry of Works has issued over 200 eviction notices in Eleuthera shanty towns and hopes to post more this week.

The Unregulated Communities Task Force recently demolished nearly 300 structures across New Providence and Abaco and is now focusing on Eleuthera.

Buildings Control Officer Craig Delancy said 27 structures on Russell Island, Eleuthera, were issued 28-day eviction notices, and 213 notices were issued overall.

“We are still awaiting persons to come forth to indicate that they have a building permit before we would be able to finalize our numbers of unregulated structures,” he said.

He said officials discovered electricity connections throughout the unregulated communities, and he does not believe residents are meeting “the code for connections”.

“We saw many of the homes built similar to the homes in Kool Acres, where little passageways you had to walk through and electrical wires running from the top going to the utility poles,” he added. “We are not sure how they were given electricity, whether they were done based on having a valid building permit or not.”

He said the task force will next visit Green Castle Cay, Palmetto Point, and Tarpum Bay.

Assistant Director of Social Services Cherely Kelly said those who qualify would receive food, rent, light, water and uniform assistance for up to a year.

She noted that only people who have permanent status or are Bahamian citizens will be helped.

“A number of persons that we would have interviewed would have a work permit, so automatically, they would not qualify to get any ongoing assistance from us,” she said.

She said many people have not taken advantage of the available shelters, with only five families living in New Providence shelters.