Homeless woman refuses to move

Belize
City was once filled with beautiful wooden buildings. While some of them
have been preserved and maintained, others have become an eyesore. In
order to prevent fires, the government has torn down many dilapidated
houses. Little over a month ago, the Housing Department demolished a house
on Caesar Ridge Road, but it didn’t happen without controversy. Jose Sanchez
Reports. Jose Sanchez, Reporting

A mini protest was staged in front of Dickie Bradley’s Urban Renewal
Office on Allenby Street in Belize City on Wednesday. The protesters were
upset that after dismantling a dilapidated house, occupied at the time
by Cherry Middleton and her four children at sixteen Caesar Ridge Road,
they felt the government has not assisted her in finding a new home. The
demonstration was organised by Opposition Member Michael Finnegan.

Michael Finnegan, Area Rep., Mesopotamia Division
“All we are trying to do is to bring attention to this lady’s plight.
That her house were taking down with she and her family inside and the
lady is begging lodging now. She has nowhere to go. She’s unemployed she
has a handicapped child. We are just bringing this to the attention of
the public, letting the public know exactly what is happening. I believe
if the government has a right to take down houses that are dilapidated
et cetera. But at the same time government has an obligation, a moral
obligation to make sure that those people are put in some temporary housing.”
After the house was levelled, Middleton and her children moved into another
shack beside the rubbles of her former home.

Cherry Middleton, left without home
“We are only staying there until our house goes up back.”

Jose Sanchez
“When did they say that you were going to be given a new home?”

Cherry Middleton
“No answer about that.”

Jose Sanchez
“Have you been to Housing?”

Cherry Middleton
“Well I don’t waste time, they only push you around and promise you and
never do anything for you.”

Jose Sanchez
“You talked to Minister Bradley?”

Cherry Middleton
“No, I haven’t spoken to him.”

Jose Sanchez
“Are you aware if he knows anything about your situation?”

Cherry Middleton
“He knows that the house has been broken down because he sent the men
to break it down.”

Jose Sanchez
“So what do you want to say to Dickie?”

Cherry Middleton
“I just want a house back where I could live.” Marissa Quan, acting
Public Relations Officer for Housing says the tearing down of the dwelling
was requested by owners of the property.

Marissa Quan, Acting P.R. Officer, Housing Department
“There is truth in the situation that yes we went there and took down
the home. But we took down the home on the instruction of the owners.
Yes, this might be a piece of property in dispute, but this is private
property and private home. This is not government land and government
housing. It’s private and we were harassed by the owners to come and take
down the building because the building is dilapidated it is a fire hazard
and we didn’t want to have a problem.”

The house may be gone, but the land is part of a current family and legal
dispute between Middleton and one of the children of her late common law
husband, John Scorn. Quan says that though Middleton has not approached
them for help, they are willing to assist her with shelter.

Marissa Quan
“Right now she needs housing. We are going to be bringing down a Mennonite
home and putting it on a piece of property on Dolphin Street. Understand
this is a temporary situation. We would later move this house to a permanent
location, which Minister Balderamos is heading. She is right now in the
process of finding a piece of property that we can give to this lady so
we can give her the house and the land.” But even though government
is prepared to relocate Miss Middleton, she refuses to move off the land,
which is not legally hers.

Jose Sanchez
“They are going to put a temporary house for you on Dolphin Street, so
are you going to move into it or not?”

Cherry Middleton
“Well, I don’t know about that, I don’t really know about that.”

Jose Sanchez
“So you are not going to move in unless it’s here?”

Cherry Middleton
“Yes, unless it’s right here.”

Reporting for News 5, Jose Sanchez.

Quan says that the house should be ready by Monday, and it remains
to be seen whether or not Middleton will move in.