With three years approaching since the passage of Hurricane Maria well over 100 individuals are still in government shelters in some communities.
While the majority of those who occupied the shelters have moved on, a few persons seem not to be interested in moving.
Glenroy Toussaint, who is the Chairperson of the Shelter Sub Committee of the National Emergency Planning Organization, has indicated that the authorities have issued an eviction notice.
“One of the things that we have done is that we have hastened to indicate to them that it is time to go. Some of those individuals have been written to and given a deadline to leave the shelter. Firstly, because we know that they are gainfully employed. Secondly, they were renting prior to Hurricane Maria,” he stated.
According to Toussaint, prolonged and continued occupation of these facilities is depriving the members of the wider community.
“We have communities for example, in the Bath Estate area where the community cannot have access to the facility because we have people in there who are there since January of 2018.
“So we are appealing to them in a very nice way. It is not fair to have a community at ransom. People must understand that shelter is temporary. It is just for them to ride out the storm. So it is not fair that we have situations where people are in the shelter for almost three years in a facility that is multipurpose. The Bath Estate people are frustrated because for many years they are not able to use the facility. People might think that it is inhumane but I do not think so,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, Toussaint is urging families to activate their emergency plan.
“We are encouraging people to have family plans. However, it is not just having a plan. You have to test the plan. You have to simulate the plan. You have to give responsibilities to family members and you simulate the plan to see how it works.
“You have to assume in your simulation that you are going to be struck by a hurricane. You simulate and let people carry out their responsibility. In this simulation, you review roles and then you look at anything that needs to be done better. “This is the same approach that we want individuals and communities to take. When we do that from a household standpoint and from a community standpoint, then essentially the country will be better prepared in the unlikely event of an impact,” he advised.