Homeless people on the streets in Trinidad..?

Question

my husband and my father in law( both born europeans) was in Trinidad last week gone...for one week stay.

they call me from there asking me about the vagrants and why so much...they say they like Trinidad but they dont like the vagrants peeing in the road while they passing and begging dem for money...ah feel ah lil shame...

they even said one vagrant had his manhood showing... :-(

Question to you all...The vagrants getting more on the streets? Government doing anything about it? what are your views please.

Answer 1

ok, lemme just say this quick.

Through out the last twenty years or so governments (who ever was in charge at the time) came up with plans to remove the Vagrants from the streets -

1. Something like a homeless shelter.  They converted parts of the NIPDEC parking lot near to Riverside plaza into rooms with beds where they could have slept and kept whatever little belonging that they owned.  They moved the vagrants in...and the vagrants moved themselves back out. Those rooms are now being occupied by other people - probably from neighbouring areas - East Dry River and Beetham (I just saying maybe!)

2. Being homeless, it was suggested that they be placed on one of our islands...in another shelter.  when you looking for them, it ent have none in town.

My point is that every time a decision is made to move vagrants out of town and clean up the city, all dem vagrants and dem does get house to live in cause you does never see none ah dem on d road.

Dont get tied up, they more informed than u and i, cause they does know when government planning to come and rounds them up and does disappear.  So we cannot blame Government for the fact that they are living where they are.

Attempts have been made on at least four occassions as far as i can remember to clean up the city, to no avail.

Answer 2

the thing about the vagrants are they don't want help. A couple of times when you try to help them by giving them food they sell it to get money and the for drugs.    if you were to ask a vagrant how they got there they will say drugs.  the government could do what eve they waqnt but you can't help thoses that don't want to be helped.  their minds are to destroyed by drugs to care.

Answer 3

Since growing up in Trinidad, that has always been a problem , some of the homeless people just don't want to be rehabilitated and they prefer to stay on the streets, it is a ad situation but most of those people do not want or has refused the help.

The same goes here in NY, They are all on the subway, the streets and I am so tired of the begging. I really wish they can take care of those homeless people in Trinidad and give them the help that they need, even if they refused to be helped, most of them are probably mentally ill and can't really do things for themselves, so our Government should help them out. It's very sad.

Answer 4

As previously mentioned this is an ongoing situation for at least 20 years.  I, like the previous writer said was harassed by a vagrant on my way to school in Port-of-Spain, and then followed on a bus back home.  It was terrifying.  I also worked at the Red House about 15 years ago and was scared to walk through Woodford Square, where they were everywhere, bathing naked at the standpipes, and begging.  I have since migrated to the U.S. and see the programs in place for the mentally ill, like adult homes and psychiatric centers, where they are closely monitored on their medication, given a monthly stipend and these facilities are privately run.  The State pays the facility owner a monthly rent, and their medical billls are paid for by Medicaid.  Maybe something like this could be considered, where the owner is paid a rent by the State and the hospitals take care of their medical and psychiatric care when needed.  Once their medication is monitored alot of them could live normal lives.  The drug situation however is the downfall of our beloved country, and most of these vagrants are drug addicted and prefer to live on the streets and keep their money for their habit.

Answer 5

As TS said, this problem has been going on for a long time. I have never seen Port of Spain minus vagrants except for when the Miss Universe pageant was held in Trinidad.

( I always wonder where dey haul dem off to....)

Anyway,  I agree something should be done about it.  Money is not the issue. The problem is both the government and the private sector are waiting for the other to do something about it.

Answer 6

I can't believe what you people are saying ?!!

I just can't ?!!

So, people don't feel ashamed when foreigners come here and see this !?

You think that this is normal ?!

Oh, ..... so because, as far as you can remember, this has always been the case, you just accept this ?!

Ahhhhh.......

Anyway, to answer the question .........

Yes there are definitly more vagrants on the streets now than say 5 years ago.

Although during the mid 80's it seemed like there were more of them than now. probably because most were concentrated in the east-west corridoor and in particularly Post of Spain.

The only difference now is that because of development you find that there are becoming more in other towns and cities like chaguanas.

Governments in this country, past and present, don't seem think it is a problem, so the've never done anything about them.

I believe that governments, at least democratically elected ones, generally reflect the minds of the people of a nation.

As you have seen from the other comments posted, most Trinis believe that this is normal and have become aclimatized to it so would even fight you to death if you attempted to solve it. Hence you can't expect the government to think any differently.

If you do try to say anything about it, they call you evil heartless and inhumane.

I think a perfectly humane way can be made to deal with it.

Come to think of It there may even be laws against vagrantism, but as usuall 3/4 of the laws in this nation are never enforced.

Hey, We are going to be hosting the common wealth heads of government pretty soon. You know the Queen and all will be here. They may do something just for show, but when it's over they will just ignor it again.

Answer 7

Vagrants in Town and such was always a problem in Trinidad. Like some ah you say,  I know it since ah born, and I get used to it.

We became used to it but it is not and has not been right.

Ever pass thru town on the way to or from school and a vagrant interfere wd yuh? That wrong and scary.  Do you know how a younger school girl would feel when a vagrant haraz she? Been there.

I think the problem has never really been addresed because them rich people and politicians children was never harassed by vagrants. let one ah dem children get interfere with nuh!!!!

Answer 8

Sadly there will always be vagrants on the streets - can't say if its increasing (yuh cyar tell a piper from a vagrant from a mental case)

A few years ago, they put all the vagrants in a home, but those who love the pavement returned.  Then I suppose they are the mental ones who choose to stay there

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http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,74452.ht...

Just read this in 06.03.08 Newsday!

Answer 9

Girl that going on since I small.  OK on this issue is really time they did something about the situation in a big way.

When I go home it hard for me to take my daughter into town because of the crowds and on the streets near independance square is people begging like crazy.  

Also, doh go KFC on Independance Square after party..looooshh is now yeah drawing a crowd. Is like feeding pigeon in Oxford Square, London.

We have money, and we have places to help people.  On this is time not only the government but the private sector do something about this.