The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A FAMILY of five is facing a difficult start to the holiday season, having been evicted and forced to sleep in their car after the father was stabbed earlier this month by a disgruntled former employee.

Michael Brown Jr, a father of four children — the youngest just two months old — said the stabbing injuries left him struggling to provide for his family, leading to their eviction last week.

“I was supposed to work them weeks and pay the rent. But, the little money what I had was only enough to say, do, like grocery and stuff like that,” said Mr Brown, a self-employed construction worker, to The Tribune yesterday.

“It’s not like we’re bums. We’re working people who take care of their families but I didn’t have the money exactly at the time.”

Desperate to provide for his family, Mr Brown said he tried to return to work despite his injuries, but the effort took a toll on his health.

“I almost end up back in the hospital because my side was swelling up from the injuries,” he added.

Mr Brown claimed he informed the landlord of their situation, and the landlord initially gave him extended time to pay the overdue rent.

However, he claimed the man later went back on his word.

“He came up with another story and told me I have to move tonight and I was like, hey, I can’t move tonight because I thought we was working it out and he’s like, he was like, ‘no man, I thought you understand me from Monday when I tell you say have it on Monday’.”

Mr Brown said he chose not to argue the point and left with his family the next morning to take shelter in their rental car for about five days.

His girlfriend, Elizabeth Cleare, who has been unable to work while on pregnancy leave, claimed she was never compensated by her job.

She also said the National Insurance Board (NIB) told her she couldn’t get benefits because her contributions were too small, leaving the family in a financial bind.

She said they sought help from the Department of Social Services but were left disappointed.

“They didn’t even have any space to accommodate us, because basically every day from we got evicted, we went to Social Services,” she said. “We were the first ones there in the morning to try and register for shelter, but they were telling us, ‘Hey, there’s nothing we can do. We don’t have shelter’.”

She said staff told them to return the next day, but each visit was as disheartening as the last because “the minute you hit the door, there was still no shelter yet.”

Social Services officials who anonymously spoke to The Tribune yesterday said people must often repeatedly return to the department until shelter becomes available.

Officials said some in shelters refuse to leave because they have nowhere else to go, making it difficult to accommodate others in need.

Despite the challenges, Mr Brown said he is determined to provide a stable home for his children.

“I can’t even see the Christmas spirit right now, because I just need to stabilise my family first, and then I can really see that it goes from there,” he said. “But right now, I just trying to get back on my foot. I trying to get a new job, stuff like that.”

He also thanked good samaritans like FNM leader Michael Pintard and Ghandi Pinder for their support.

The family is currently staying in a rental place, with the cost covered by another generous donor. They can be reached at 423-2160.