House Collapse in Lake-I Leaves One Family Homeless

Another Belize City family residing in Lake Independence is tonight homeless after their home collapsed over the weekend.  Lichelle Dixon, her mother and grandmother were living in a dilapidated wooden structure on Pointsetta Street and on previous occasions had reportedly sought help from Area Representative Mark King.  That help did not arrive early enough and Sunday the elevated building gave way.  Fortunately, no one was inside at the time of the collapse.  This afternoon, News Five caught up with Dixon who shared her frustrations with us.

Lichelle Dixon, Resident of Pointsetta Street

Lichelle Dixon

“From 2013, I sent in a package to the Area rep office to ask assistance to build a house. From then when I sent in the letter for assistance the house had already started to break. We didn’t get any help until March 2015. Mark King sent some of his workers to start building posts in the yard. They put down nine posts, me and my mom felt at ease because we saw things getting done and said we can accomplish something for Christmas. One week past, two weeks pat, my mom asked them if anything, they said you are on the list and that we will start building houses next week and nothing got done. The first f July this year my mom was in the back room and it collapsed with her after 4 in the morning. I went, I took pictures, and I went to Mark King’s office, I inboxed him on Facebook. All he said is that we are on the list to get help. We still had hope, this Sunday my mom was out here and my mom was here and we got a call saying that the house collapsed. Now my thing about that is, it is not just today that we are asking for help and we are not people who live in the minister’s office asking for house  rent, help with food, help with light bill, no all we are asking is for a little bit of help. Yes we understand that there are other people before us and yes we understand we have to wait. But I mean can’t you help us do something, every time something happens to the house, I send you pictures, I show you tings, I show you why we need the house. I ask for help, we ask for help, just this morning I received a call telling me that she saw some workers on the land. They waited until the house fell to assist with that I am glad for the house that we are getting it now but I don’t think our house had to fall before they give us this one. We are asking long not just today, but whatever they do we really appreciate it. And I am just asking the public…we lost a lot of stuff, the only thing we managed to save was our stove, the gas tank and the refrigerator. But other from that we have nothing else. My mom’s clothes, her school stuff, we lost everything, nothing else we have. The rooms the bed everything is gone. So all am asking is that if you want to help I would really appreciate it, even if its encouraging words, I would really appreciate it. My number is 600-2009; anybody can reach me on it.”

In the predawn hours of September twenty-third, the residence of Joany Smith and her family on Electric Avenue collapsed while they were fast asleep.  They two had been seeking assistance with the repair of the wooden structure.