Last night we showed you the house on Seagull Street in the Port Loyola area that collapsed leaving a south side family homeless. Well, Area Representative for Port Loyola Anthony Boots Martinez was also watching the news and this morning at the crack of dawn, he went out to the area to see what he could do. With the help of his Housing for the Poor NGO that has been active in Port Loyola for over a decade, he and his crew started building a new house. Jacqueline Godwin visited the site.
Shirley Gillett, Waiting to move in new home
“I feel happy that they responded so quick and we will finally be getting our new house.”
That is because just twenty four hours ago, Shirley Gillett and her family of four were all on the verandah of their two story wooden house at number 3040 Seagull Street when the building collapsed.
Hon. Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Minister of Works
“I saw it on the news last night and I was down here five o’clock this morning to make the assessment.”
The Gillett family is being assisted by a brand new two bedroom house that is being built right next door to their original home where they have been residing for more than twenty years. According to the Minister of Works Anthony Boots Martinez who also got physically involved in the construction, the help is being extended through the southside project to repair and renovate at least five
hundred homes. In fact Minister Martinez says the Gillett’s home was one of the residences on the list to be fixed.
Hon. Anthony “Boots” Martinez,
“We have many other houses right now in Port Loyola, Collet, and Lake Independence of which we are rescuing before it reaches this stage here.”
The collapse also damaged many of the family’s furniture and household items.
Shirley Gillett,
“We stove, tank which didn’t even use yet and that was destroyed too along with clothing, glassware, and so forth.”
If all goes well the Gillett family is expected to move into their new home on Thursday.
Hon. Anthony “Boots” Martinez,
“I am sure that on the southside there is over 500 houses, home repairs and new homes.”
And while the crew from the Housing for the Poor group work to provide a shelter for the Gillett family, as soon as the structure is completed they will be helping another family in need. This is where Carlos Augustine and his six young children have been living at number 9184 Mahogany Street Extension.
Carlos Augustine, Helping to build his new home
“Well from the physical outlook of things it is kind of a little rough but we have to stay together and stick together and the program we are on is trying to keep everybody unify.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Because looking at the house it does not give you much shelter much less on a rainy day.
Carlos Augustine,
“True.”
When we arrived at the location, we found Carlos Augustine working hard on
the foundation of what will be his new home.
Carlos Augustine,
“I am trying to strengthen the footing and thing, try to block in the footing so it stays stable.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
How quickly you think you’ll be able to move in?
Carlos Augustine,
“About a week or so.”
Hon. Anthony “Boots” Martinez,
“And we have rescued many of these situations which don’t need to reach the media if we are doing our job properly and I think this is why the south side project is set out to rescue these situations. And you can see the condition here, you have six children and an adult living here, a single father of six and also the living condition is terrible.”
Martinez says they also plan to help replace some of the Augustine family’s possessions that have been destroyed over time due to the condition of the house. Jacqueline Godwin reporting for 7NEWS.
When we checked this evening at around 5:00 the structure was almost completed.
