Charity Wants Assistance for Persons Made Homeless by Natural Disaster

Director of local charity Friends of the Homeless, Dr. Maureen Irons-Morgan, has called for special provisions to be put in place to assist persons, who become homeless during natural disasters.
In an interview with JIS News, Dr. Irons-Morgan said that several persons usually become homeless during natural disasters, especially hurricanes, and it is therefore important to have a comprehensive plan in place, which addresses these situations.
She noted that oftentimes it is persons, who are living on the fringes, who are most severely affected by these disasters and who often end up homeless.
“So, we need to put some sort of provisions in place so that persons, who suddenly become homeless can get assistance, instead of remaining homeless and becoming chronically homeless,” she stated.
Last August, 380 houses were destroyed by Tropical Storm Gustav, while in 2007, Hurricane Dean flattened approximately 3,272 houses.
It is estimated that about 1,500 persons across the island live on the streets, with about 90 per cent of this number being men.