By Prior Beharry
THERE are three main causes of homelessness in Trinidad and Tobago – mental illness, substance abuse and people down on their luck.
This is the view of Executive Director of the Citizens Union of Trinidad and Tobago (CUTT) Phillip Edward Alexander.
He was speaking to AZPNews.com on Sunday after the distribution of 300 food boxes to the needed in Port-of-Spain on Christmas Day.
Alexander said there needed to be a proper assessment in order to help these people.
He said people suffering from mental illness and drug addicts should be helped while those down on their luck should be given a “hand up”.
Alexander said there were people who had jobs but could not afford a place to stay and therefore were on the streets.
“They just need a hand up,” he said.
Alexander added, “I know people with big jobs and have an HDC (Housing Development Corporation) House while a man has a job and he cannot afford a place to stay.”
He said every Christmas Day for the past 29 years he and other have been giving food to the homeless.
Alexander said it came out of a feeling by his family who wanted to give back to society and that Christmas Day 29 years ago they cooked ham, turkey and had chickens donated by friends. And every Christmas Day hence he has fed the homeless in the capital city.
Since then, he said, all the organisations he is with have become involved.
It was first done under the auspices of the Jericho Project – a charity.
He said yesterday “a cabinet of organisations” helped with the project, the activist body CUTT, the political organisation Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) and the charity the Jericho Project.
Alexander said sometimes they are criticised for doing this just one day for the year but appealed to other to take up the mantle.
He said, “If 365 people to this for one day of the year, they every day the homeless will be fed.”
