Shelter for homeless during bad weather

Homeless persons will not be left stranded on the streets and exposed to the elements in the event that a severe weather system affects the island.

With the 2020 hurricane season in full swing and parts of the island experiencing flooding in recent weeks, the Barbados Alliance to End Homelessness (BAEH) shelter is ready to rescue vulnerable folks from off the elements.

BAEH President Kemar Saffrey assured Barbados TODAY that the shelter goes into high alert whenever a flood warning or watch has been issued for Barbados.

“We are always prepped for the homeless to come into the shelter. If they come early they can get in, if they come late they can get in no matter what time.

“We also send messages letting them know that the shelter is fully functional and we have our team on standby to go on the street and find the homeless and bring them into the shelter. Even before the shelter was opened, we used to go out and search for them and place them where we could,” Saffrey said.

The president explained that the Spry Street shelter can hold a maximum of 90 people, however, at this time, adjustments would have to be made to ensure that the facility meets the requirements for the national COVID-19 protocols. He said persons coming to the shelter would be required to have their temperature checked, be sanitized and adhere to social distancing.

“Throughout the season we liaise with the agencies like community groups that feed the homeless so that they can use the shelter so that they wouldn’t be in the rain. We also liaise with the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) and the Ministry of Education because they are responsible for the hurricane shelters,” he said.

However, Saffrey said he believes that significant work needs to be done as it relates to getting elderly citizens who are immobile off the streets, whenever a weather system is pending.

He indicated that while the Clyde Gollop shelter provides housing for elderly persons who have no fixed place of abode, his organisation has to work with the Ministry of Elder Affairs to formulate a plan to get elderly citizens who cannot walk to safety.

“When we can do that we can definitely move forward to the next level. But we have seen a number of the elderly folks being affected recently, but whoever can get here to the shelter we will work with them.

“We do have a van that we are working with to be able to pick them up if need be, but obviously that is a cost that we have to incur. We have done that in the past but I think greater collaboration has to take place with the Ministry of Elder Affairs because they are the ones charged with the elderly,” Saffrey said. (AH)