Minister of the Environment and Housing Kenred Dorsett released today his department's report into the conditions and inspection of a number of shanty towns throughout the country.
Noting how these communities operate outside of the requirements for proper sanitation, without regard to the building code and in violation of safety requirements for electricity, Minister Dorsett said that he remains concerned about the possibility of diseases such as cholera being born because of the unsanitary disposal of human and other forms of waste.
"I would like the general public to know that the government of the Bahamas is committed to bringing resolution to this age old issue. Not only are these towns unsightly and unsanitary but as you will see in the photos provided they are not fit for human dwelling. I assure you that work is being done and will continue to be done to address this issue for the benefit of those living in this unsanitary conditions and Bahamas generally," he said.
Comments
Bahamianpride 11 years, 5 months ago
I hope in the process of getting rid of these shanty Towns the Government strongly reconsiders a plan for population redistribution.. Nassau has to many people living on the 21 by 7 space... There are numerous large family islands with ample space...Yes I know Nassau has all of the resources but we can work on further development for the Family Islands... And please do not rebuild anything on these lands, everyone just needs a little elbow room..
ThisIsOurs 11 years, 5 months ago
Hmmm...how timely, just drove past the intersection of Bay St and Soldier Road. I could not believe my eyes as I saw a fruit vendor all set up for business at the light. In another week 3 more vendors will catch on...In 2months they get tired of "putting away" the dirty 5gallon buckets, crates and tarp paper at night. They will become permanent fixtures to what was 6months ago one of the most beautiful views in the country. In a year you will have a fight on your hand if you ask them to move. The whole island is becoming a shanty town right under Kenred's nose.
TalRussell 11 years, 5 months ago
40 years of independence and we got's shanty towns to show for it. Yes, we have The Tribune's photo to prove our failure. What a disgrace to our Bahamaland. Might as well just go ahead and make it official on our 40th, that Bahamalnd is now to be known around the world, as Shantyland. Both of the former law partner's need to hang their heads in shame. You two PM's have betrayed our Bahamaland. And, you did it all to get a couple of extra (30 pieces of silver) votes. How can either one them PM's have ever thought that Baha Mar and Atlantis can attract tourists to fill their hotel rooms in "their new Shantyland? Neither law partner had the bullocks to send in the bulldozers. Screw your silly report.
linnassau 11 years, 5 months ago
Let's not be hypocritical about this now. The rank and file of Bahamians have contributed to this present state of affairs. They, the illegal immigrants come, see and live, and then we hire them to work illegally, for which many of them are underpaid in order to continue to live in these substandard conditions and then we make noise when we see the shanty towns proliferating all over the islands of the Bahamas. We need to be more proactive to eliminate the problem at its source and that is the jobs which we provide to them circumventing our laws and undermining our own selves. The various governmental agencies ( imigration, health and education )can network to determine the true numbers of illegal immigrants here. Those agencies being Social health care provided through the clinics and PMH, our educational system and we can have a true idea as to their economic impact. We already see the cost as it translates to repatriation exercises, it is becoming very burdensome for us. The tax payers monies can be wisely spent in better ways to improve this country. On a final note it is extremely important to be able to illegal immigrants as humane as possible but protecting Bahamians in the long term.
Letsdoit 11 years, 5 months ago
Nassau is actually only 18.5 x 7
jackflash 11 years, 5 months ago
What about what Nygard is adding daily to his property.
John 11 years, 5 months ago
The problem I have with persons like Kenred Dorsette is that they see a problem that has existed for years and then they want to come up with a solution that can correct that problem overnight. Shanty Towns exist, not only because we have a large amount of illegal residents living in this country, but also because we have a large number of indigeneous Bahamians and legal immigrants living below the poverty level and the shanty town squalor is the only place they can afford to call home. Their only alternative to living there is to be homeless. Because we are fortunate to live in the suburbs or even some gated community, we must never forget the marginalized families that can barely make it, living from hand to mouth, and the hardship that will be created if the shanty towns are destroyed, with no alternative, equally affordable living accommodations made available. In fact the destruction of these shacks would create a serious housing shortage, especially in New Providence and Abaco, and this will drive up the cost of rental properties. This was demonstrated in 1992 when the FNM government attempted to get rid of all houses that did not have inside toilets. Many of the persons who owned these properties, that were mostly rentals, did not see it financially feasible to do the necessary rennovations, so many of the buildings were condemned and destroyed. And while some owners replaced these clapboard shacks with new and modern apartments, there was still a shortage of rental properties for the 'poor' Bahamian. A similar situation occurred just recently when the present government decided to demolish dilapidated and abandoned buildings, in its efforts to fight crime. They were not aware of the number of homeless persons who called these dilapidated buildings 'home'. So these has to be alternative housing offered for the shanty towns. Places that are affordable.
John 11 years, 5 months ago
One can find living accommodations in a shanty village for as low as $25.00 per week. While this may mean going to the toilet in nearby bushes or using a slop bucket and bathing in a tin tub, these shanties give the poor, unemployed or underemployed an alternative to being homeless. To move in to an average two bedroom apartment in New Providence will cost around $600.00 per month. The tenant must come up with first and last month's rent $1,200.00 a security deposit of about $500.00, about $200.00-$300.00 to have the electricity turned on and even more money if they want telephone and cable. So while someone will need around $2,000.00 to move into an average 2 bedroom apartment, they can move into a shanty town for just $50.00, first and last weeks rent. Do you know the broad spectrum of persons who fit in between being able to find $50.00 a week and not being able to afford $2,000.00 to move into an apartment?
banker 11 years, 5 months ago
The problems associated with Shanty Towns are not simple to solve. As John and linnassau have pointed out, we hire illegal Haitians at starvation wages, and what little they make, they send remittances back home to support their families. They do not have enough money to live with decency. If you brought in the bulldozers, these people will find other places and ways to live, usually using the point of the cutlasses that we so generously provide them with to do our gardening.
There are solutions but they would require honesty, decency, logic and ethics, which are all in short supply in the Bahamas. If the government upheld law and order, they would get the money back that was tiefed by the ministers from the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Housing and others. Then they would confiscate the illegal earnings of the numbers king, and there would be enough money for social solutions. Barracks type housing could be built and there could be a path to citizenship for the honest, hardworking illegals like the US is doing.
But first we would have to diversify the economy. Hardly anyone in the Bahamas realises it, but we are held back by a monolithic economy that penalises and holds back Bahamians and rewards foreign capital. We need a convertible currency. We need to eliminate exchange controls, we need to get out of tourism as the cornerstone of the economy. Tourism makes us a nation of servants with low paying service jobs.
In the paradigm of modern societies, you do not need to have natural resources to be a rich nation. If we had put a premium on education, we could be an information age or knowledge society. Instead we have illiterate tribes of very violent, closed-minded hypocritical people who's only means of getting ahead is to take it from the haves, or catch crumbs that fall from the tables of the more economically enlightened.
concernedcitizen 11 years, 5 months ago
what industries would you suggest ??please remember we have been trying to farm these coral rocks since the loyalist ,on an economy of scale for what you would have to import to farm you can import the food cheaper ,then we would have to give lots of work permits for labour ,,sure some boutique farms can grow 5 dollar"natural tomatoes " but our we going work miles of sunbaked feilds ,,, also have you noticed any constuction sites lately ,alot of the masons ,capenters ,etc are now Hatain ,and getting good wages ,our lil darlins don,t want to work that hard and are too arrogant to start as a helper and learn ,,i see them before school here rubbing scented lotion ,the boys ,on themselves and playing on smart phones waiting on the school bus ..once again what industries ,,not fantasy ,but industries that are feasable w/ our undereducated ,sticky fingered work force ,,,i deal w/ reality ,what is ...
Bahamianpride 11 years, 5 months ago
Billions of Dollars come through the Bahamas each year so funding the removal and proper relocation of the people is not the problem... The problem is no one has the political will or genuine disire to do it the right way. The P.M. and Other leaders know how to address the problems, but when there purpose in life is for the advancement of themselves, family or cronnies, Putting the Bahamian people first is not on there agenda.. It is almost the mentality of Post traumatic slave syndrome, where even in Freedom the slave is traumatized and never sees himself equal to the master, so he Panders...When u see yourself and your country as a value worth peserving, then u act in the best interest of your country... When u do not, u make laws and rules that discriminates against your own people. Foreigners make a killing of the Bahamas because the political and ruling class let them...Deals are made that benefit them personally but screw the population.. Foreign capital is necessary but the deals that are made on behalf of the Bahamian people are some of the worse ever, with no long term consideration of the social and economic consequences to the average citizen.. This i believe is why we have so much poverty in this country..
positiveinput 11 years, 5 months ago
"Noting how these communities operate outside of the requirements for proper sanitation." Minister Dorsett, besides the shanty homes, what about the tax payers whom struggle monthly to pay utility bills but some months fall short. In the event that their water is disconnected due to lack of payment (at a point of time funds were not available), wouldn't then the government be aiding in contributing to improper sanitation. Without running water, dishes cannot be washed, home interiors cannot be cleaned (kitchens/bathrooms/floors mopped) persons cannot bathe properly and especially toilets cannot be flushed accordingly. However I am not mentioning this to say give these individuals (tax payers) free service, but with the shanty homes they have free access to government water pumps which are paid for by the tax payers, so why is it the tax payers must have their supply disconnected which could be easier monitored for payment.
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