By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net 

A HAITIAN man and his pregnant wife rushed to pack their belongings in their unregulated home of 23 years as the demolition of illegal structures in the T-Wash shanty town on Cowpen Road began yesterday.

Erucknold Petit-Youte, 50, told The Tribune that when the Unregulated Communities Action Task Force arrived to bulldoze his house in the morning, he pleaded for more time to remove his belongings, and officials granted him a few extra hours but warned they would return to continue the demolition.

In August, the task force issued 28-day eviction notices to 123 structures in the T-Wash area.

Mr Petit-Youte, a landscaper, said he had no children but lived in the community with his pregnant wife.

He said maintaining a steady income is hard because he doesn’t always have consistent work. He said some clients had refused to pay him after completing landscaping jobs.

His pregnant wife sat outside on a wooden bench, rubbing her belly, while other residents packed cars with laundry baskets, mattresses, fridges, cages of chickens, and other items. Many sat by the roadside, seemingly with nowhere to go.

Mr Petit-Youte said he has had trouble finding an apartment and faces discrimination from landlords. He said he has a potential place for him and his wife but does not know how they will move items because his truck is broken.

Another resident, Marc Altena, 40, said his house was completely demolished. He wasn’t angry, acknowledging that the government was enforcing the law.

“I have to stay with a friend tonight; I haven’t found another place to live yet,” he said.

Mr Altena, a carpenter, said he recently injured his hand in a fall at work and hasn’t been able to work since. He hopes to eventually find a permanent place to live.

Craig Delancy, buildings control officer at the Ministry of Works and Family Island Affairs, confirmed that five to six illegal structures were demolished in the initial phase yesterday. He said the task force hopes to resume demolitions next week.

He said technical issues delayed further demolition.