Rose Place residents satisfied and are waiting to move

ResidentS of Rose Place/Bottom Town say they are pleased with the construction of houses at Lowmans Bay which are being built for them as part of the Port Improvement Project.

The EC$4.2 million housing component of the project involves the construction of 31 structures to house some 49 families comprising a total of 165 persons, and is being undertaken by the Housing and Land Development Corporation (HLDC).

The Port Improvement Project will be sited at Rose Place and residents have agreed to relocate to make the area available.

Although not wanting to be placed on record, many residents who spoke to SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday August 4, said the houses are an improvement on their present condition.

One fisherman said his current living circumstances are tough with a family and other expenses, it was hard to build a better home.

“Me nah like Ralph but what we are getting, I am supporting the project. My family need a better place to live and Ralph have gotten that for us,” the fisherman stated.

He and others admit that the houses in which they live at present are not the best, and not all of them are fishermen. One man who said he is unemployed and makes a living doing odd jobs, told SEARCHLIGHT that no matter the size of the house at Lowmans he would be getting, he is most grateful.

“Me and Ralph ain’t friends. Me and the ULP never been friends. But I will say this today. If he never did anything good for us, today I will tell him thank you for it is not just a big project and the poor man ain’t get nothing. We are getting something. This we must say when a good is done,” the Rose Place resident said.

Diane Jack said she has not visited the site of the homes but “My daughter went to see the houses and she told me they are very good. I have asked my son to take me to see for myself”.

A resident of Rose Place since 2001, Jack said although the conditions are not good, she has tried to raise her children and grandchildren the best the circumstances allowed.

Speaking to the Searchlight as she cleaned fish, Jack said she is grateful and is looking forward to seeing the houses, and “to see my grandchildren have a much better place to live”.

She however expressed concerns over the distance young females would have to walk from the Campden Park main road to get to the Lowmans Bay homes and said she hopes that measures are put in place to protect them.

The structures at Lowmans Bay are duplex one bedroom houses as well as two and three bedroom homes.

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves said on radio this week that Government is looking to have residents move into their new premises by December this year.