Human Rights Advocate and Attorney at Law Mary Francis has urged the government to find affordable housing for the tenants living in the structurally unsound CDC apartments.
Tenants of blocks U, V, W, X, Y, and Z have acknowledged the danger, but have expressed concern over a notice to vacate their apartments within three months.
And asserting they would get $2,500 in relocation assistance, the tenants felt the government could do more to assist with alternative accommodations.
Mary Francis told St Lucia Times three months to move was short notice.
Francis explained that some people have lived in the CDC apartments for a long time, while others are elderly.
“That’s going to cause a lot of pressure on them psychologically and otherwise. So I only hope the government is thinking this out very carefully,” the National Centre for Legal Aid and Human Rights Coordinator stated.
Francis acknowledged that the situation was difficult since a disaster could occur in the structurally unsound apartment blocks.
“From a human rights point of view, I see this as a forced eviction based on necessity. So how do you weigh necessity versus alternative housing for the people? In cases like that, according to housing law rights, you are supposed to first have accommodations before you evict people or ask them to leave so that they would not be exposed to the elements and their quality of life diminishes,” Francis told St Lucia Times.
There you go again Mary. Always contrary. You accept the situation is difficult as a disaster can happen at any time. Yet you say notice is inadequate. SMDH. How you weigh necessity versus alternative housing for the people? You can’t. Because the longer it takes the Government to find alternative housing for every tenant, the stronger the likelihood of a disaster.
Mary Francis where are you! Why aren’t you saying something, anything. Aren’t we Vieux Fortians human enough to warrant your intervention. Our human rights are being violated, we are being murdered, we are in hiding and can’t walk our main street – Clarke Street, our stores and other businesses are closed, our kids can’t go to school. Oh Mary our situation is dire, please make a plea for our human rights. We beg you Mary on bended knees – please!!!!!!! for we too are human beings.
You coming out after the storm. So much gun violence over the past week and now you talking. You have not said a word regarding the senseless killings and the gangsters
Shameless Mary
I would start by saying St. Lucia needs a total overhaul from bottom up to top to bottom. Put people in position who we can trust and deliver if not resign and give another a chance. Once we continue with this ancient formula St. Lucia will find itself by the sea floor sooner than we thought. Nothing good will come out of what is happening presently and the citizens are disgusted.
@Vieux Fortian. You wasting your time. Mary doesn’t give a crap about your rights unless you are a criminal. In her world only white people are terrorized. If you are non-white, start sucking salt.
By any definition, the people in VF are being terrorized. Closed schools, limited work hours for employees, risks of random death by bullets, curtailed window for replenishment of food stocks, stuck indoors, flat out fear among many of the residents. Mary doesn’t care because there’s no money in that type of hustle. There is no financial settlement there for her.
You can’t fool this kid, Mary. I can see through you both coming and going.
There’s no Human Rights for the Murder Victims Relatives in Vieux.Fort because its not police Shooting .I guess Mary Francis Should House a Few of the Tennants at her Private Residence.
So many Gun Related Homicides for 2023 Mary Francis have not Utter one word on Behalf of the Victims love ones
It’s concerning how many St.Lucians don’t understand what a Human Rights advocate does and yet they have so much to say about Mary. Mary is not the one who is to speak regarding the citizen-inflicted violence in VF. That’s not her role. Please look up examples of human rights advocacy and become enlightened. Then direct your questions to the actual persons they should be addressed to.
All these lawyers are culpable in the erosion of civil rights. For instance we must ask; Is the legal luminary relentlessly pushing the CCJ the most entwined with the VF criminals? Is the supposedly most generous legal minded politician in the Castries area well known by the US DEA?
Why blame the human rights attorney for the quagmire that is in the south what has Dr Anthony done to get the people out of poverty and ignorance has he created the environment for the people to progress and get good jobs someone told me that the only job a young man or woman can get is working as a security guard for 400 dollars a fortnight so so you think that the young men will throw their guns in the castries harbour and go and work 12 to 18 hour shifts for 3 dollars an hour do you think the the children of the politicians will take on those odd jobs..that can’t take you nowhere in life it is the system that is responsible