Family Homeless after House Collapses on Mahogany Street

The Smith family of Mahogany Street is homeless tonight. As Elizabeth Smith and her five children were in deep slumber on Tuesday night, their house collapsed. Luckily, they were not injured, but it has left them without a roof over their heads. COVID-19 has also left Smith without a job, so tonight she is making a desperate plea for help. Here is News Five’s Duane Moody with a report.

Duane Moody, Reporting

A family of six has been left without a roof over their heads after the wooden structure they called home collapsed beneath them overnight. Just after midnight, Elizabeth Smith and her five children, between the ages of six and sixteen, were sleeping inside when the house fell off its support beams.

Elizabeth Smith

Elizabeth Smith, Homeowner

“Me and my kids were sleeping; we heard a little crenching and the house just crumble down with all of us. This happen like lee bit after twelve last night when we were sleeping and turning and the house just crumble with all of us.   I was so nervous. I was worried about the kids that I dehn okay and I okay physically and everything and everybody was okay. Just that mi house crumble and di lee ones kinda nervous because dehn neva used to something like that for that happen to them.”

Smith is a single mother, who worked as a janitor at Saint Luke’s Methodist School in the Saint Martin De Porres area of Belize City. But the COVID-19 crisis has left her without a job for almost two months now. She says that they have been living at that house on Mahogany Street for over three years. They are now staying at her father’s house located in the same yard.

Elizabeth Smith

“Thank God I got a father that I could have a lee space for a lee time. Whosoever really care, from their heart to help me and my five kids.”

For now, the family is displaced, and Smith is asking for assistance to rebuild their home.

Elizabeth Smith

“I was begging assistance for help from human development and they just pushing us around and now this happen and I really need roof over mi head for me and mi five kids dehn. Right now things dread. No savings deh fi like rake and scrape to build a roof over my head. I am asking for assistance. If you want to contact me, my number is 603-4198.”

Duane Moody for News Five.