Bryan: Homeless families to be housed immediately
(CNS): The UPM government has made a policy commitment to house all homeless Caymanian families with children, ensuring that no kids are sleeping on the street, in tents or in cars. Addressing parliament on Wednesday, Minister Kenneth Bryan, who took over responsibility for social development last month, said the policy directions to the Department of Financial Assistance would improve the response to the most vulnerable seeking help and enable staff to “act without delay”.
In an official statement to the House, Bryan said anyone who comes to the Department of Financial Assistance stating they have nowhere to live will be assisted immediately if children are involved, even if that means booking them into a hotel. The directive mandates that single parents or families with children who are homeless must be assisted with accommodation straight away.
“It may increase the cost of the department’s budget, but the urgency of these situations where children are involved means that the safety and the dignity of those we are here to protect must override the other concerns, including costs,” Bryan said.
Referring to media reports of a mother and her children sleeping on the beach after she lost her home, he said that the department was aware of her plight, but he claimed the existing policies prevented the department from helping. Bryan said that, according to the policies in place, the department is required to find the money to help with accommodation for the homeless but not with finding the accommodation.
The minister said the combination of a lack of available affordable accommodation, a limited number of landlords willing to rent to the department’s clients and the lack of transitional housing owned by the government “created a perfect storm” that led to the nightmare the family had to endure living in a tent on the beach.
“This is not what we want for our children,” he said. “This new policy ensures that no Caymanian children who need help and whose families go to the department for assistance will face the trauma or dangers of homelessness.”
Bryan added that the gap in the social assistance safety net is significantly aggravated by the lack of transitional government-owned social housing. He said he had brought a motion to parliament when he was on the opposition benches for the government to begin building its own social housing apartment block. But he said this policy will fill the gap until that can happen.
In addition to the accommodation directive, Bryan said that mothers will no longer be forced to seek maintenance from non-compliant fathers when seeking financial assistance as a condition of the payments, given the risks that might pose to some women who have left abusive relationships.
He pointed out this placed them in “vulnerable or even dangerous situations”. Bryan said it should be the state that seeks maintenance from fathers in such circumstances, helping to protect the mothers involved.
He also told his colleagues that temporary assistance is going to be extended to all those currently receiving or applying for it from three to six months before they need to reapply to avoid any implications of impropriety during the election campaign.
This is to avoid any perception that refusals or approvals of government welfare were being used to court votes. “This will help preserve the credibility of the department from any political criticism,” Bryan said, adding that people still need to contact the department in relation to any change of circumstances.
The department has been asked to monitor the changes to see how much impact they have on tackling some of the complex problems surrounding social assistance.
Following Bryan’s statement, Andre Ebanks, the former minister, pointed out that there has always been a policy to accommodate homeless families immediately. He said the issue was that hotels had begun refusing to take NAU clients and asked if that situation had changed.
Bryan said he was told the policy had not been in place for a year or so, but hotels not willing to take them was not an excuse. However, he said they had been able to find some hotels willing to work with the department. The minister also said that the provision that was supposed to deal with maintenance issues had not addressed the problem of keeping parties apart for safety reasons.
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How about allowing persons to build onto their already existing properties/homes 50% without planning approval? That must surely help.
They already have, then rented the additional space to 12 Jamaicans and 17 Filipinos.
At least it is honest an honest living. What would be the alternative, break into your home and rob you blind?
Many garages are filled with bunkbeds and ht plates for indentured filipinos. They aren’t allowed to go out, or have friends over.
Not at my hotel.
They can all go live in the Hurricane Hilton, might as well use it for something.
“Dart does everything so well”…see Old Hyatt, Deckers, Royal Palms, derelict property portfolio, or drive the airport bypass (the latter with our money).
Should have just bought TI for them. Cheaper than both his Crackland Park and Kenny Beach.
How much does CIG spend on mental health, addiction rehabilitation, and management programs? That’s not what NAU and HMP Northward are supposed to supplant.
How much does CIG spend on mental health
If you include MP salaries it’s quite a bit. Plus we pay them pension if the crazies ever retire.
2:29 pm. The Christian/ Hypocrite raping the country.
10.02am Govt revenue is in excess of $1 billion, 98% of this goes on supporting the Civil Service and related Govt entities. This is the problem as very little is left over to support the indigent and other needy causes.As mentioned recently our Premier with her 300 constituents is one of the highest paid Govt leaders in the world.
By supporting the civil servants do you mean paying them for the labour they are providing?
There are over 200 churches for faithful amounting to <5000…what is the purpose of these other than fighting gays? Is it just money laundering or is there a redeeming community outreach component? If so, why can't we see and feel that? How can there be any hungry or homeless on a tiny island 10x20mi?
oh STFU
Church of Satan?
I agree.
Why is govt bailing out a private CHURCH school. All those offerings going somewhere
Maybe because you are not looking. Many of these churches raise funds for food banks and are in the community actively assisting many in need, but don’t let facts get in the way of your misguided opinions.
For a small island, there is no need for so many churches. It is a racket that should be checked out. Why are they given concessions on imports. Money laundering and dishonesty, feathering their own nests.
We are agreed that we shouldn’t have to look very hard…and the question stands: why can’t we see and feel that with 200+ churches?
Cayman Islands Government needs to fact that!
9:58, one of these churches, the Church of God Prophecy on Anton Bodden bypass road in Bodden Town is HUGE. Why does CPA pass all these applications to build such large places. There must be something suspicious going on as there cannot be enough people to fill that church when it is finally built (been under construction for years).
That does not pass the sniff test. Get hold of Chris Johnson to look into it.
Funny how people constantly bashing the church when all 140+ nationalities and turncoat Caymanians, are enjoying the Christian, god fearing foundation these islands were founded on! Similar to Great Britain where some of the original settlers came from and brought their religiosity with them. No finance or tourism industry would’ve developed here, if the place was filled with bandits, violence and uncontrollable destitution. This culture is eroding away, hence all the discontent in society today. God doesn’t live in church, some people are religious or not, some subscribe to some notion of faith and keep largely to themselves. I often reciprocate and ask, other than raunchy displays, woke agendas, bible bashing and offering endless sexual confusion, what exactly does the LGBTQ community done for the Cayman Islands? And how does the lifestyle choice/ belief system benefit all in society and not just its members ?
I tuned you out at the God Fearing + Christian Foundation part, but perhaps consider that any person who identifies as LGBTQ as you mention is a human being and part of society at large. They don’t have to be a Christian in your almighty God belief system to contribute to the world’s society .
The “how do you like my island” zombie guy knocking on cars, and mooching for a dollar in West Shore Plaza, is he really homeless or just addicted to drugs and not in treatment? He is a menace.
Government low income houses are priced above the lower class. Which poor family can afford $200,000 and above homes?
If NAU pays >$40,000 a year in support, to keep their recipients off construction sites and out of kitchens, and that household isn’t addicted to drugs, then $200,000 homes are well within reach. The problem is many have mental health and addiction issues, and that’s why they are on NAU recipient lists, and have no way out of the hole.
Build a tower block in the Brac or WB or BT and put them in it.
Bodden Town is filled with rejects from other districts, who are giving our district a bad name. Find accommodation for them in their respective districts.
Don’t worry, you getting the dump soon too. Fitting.
to 9.32 Or South Sound ,or SMB.
Stop building crap parks and build some suitable accommodation for vulnerable / low income families?
I’m just waiting on the new park to be finished so I set my little tent up and park my shopping cart
Take the 55 million from the high-school and build 155 $350,000.00 homes. Oh wait the affordable housing project is already in place and running like a well oiled machine.
ARK could build closer to 500 homes with that kind of cash!
He could set up tents in his Park and then they would be in his electoral district and could wote for him.
They can drop their pants and hang their bums over the $40,000 wishing well.
7.50am Its vote not wote. Of course you are non Caymanian and mocking Caymanians.
The land where they are building the park in town should have been affordable housing.
Now it will be full of homeless and druggies.
That location could have been great for a rooming house geared for Caymanians.
The question this wutless and spineless government should ask, is why the people are homeless. Lets see the cost of owning a home by a caymanian in cayman is now out of reach for the minimum wage caymanian worker. Rent is way too expensive for caymanians amd landlords don’t want to rent their properties out to caymanians.
Now placing the caymanian in a hotel is your answer? Damn fool! There are bigger issues here. Maybe you should have redirect the Scranton Park to some low budget homes for caymanians?
Ask your ‘Premier’.
You could accommodate them in some of Ju Jus dresses – taxpayer paid for them after all.
“any implications of impropriety during the election campaign. This is to avoid any perception that refusals or approvals of government welfare is being used to court votes. “
Funny that despite being in power all these years this is a priority 4 months before an election. Who could possibly think it was courting votes.
WTH Kenneth, its almost 2025, you had 4 years bro, now you come with the bandaid ? Is this knee jerk reaction the best you can do?
Vote time!
They are homeless by choice Free hotel rooms is exactly what they want.
ask this idiot how much he spent putting up known fraudsters in a hotel?
Mr. Bryan, you know what the perfect storm is? It’s called the UPM, you and your cohorts don’t have a clue about anything. You’re all over paid, underperforming, narcissistic and selfish and possess some other unmentionable traits quite unbecoming of ministers. The election can’t come fast enough. The magic carpet you and other UPM clowns are riding on needs to ripped from beneath you with all due haste to save what’s left our islands. You yourself should have stuck to what you’re good at, on the streets selling lines.
Come January,Juli is planning to add PPM to that magic carpet for the last 4 months. Imagine the destruction they will do.
UPM: Unqualified Pathetic Misfits
PPM = Privileged Plutocrat Minions
So the cycle continues, government creates a problem, government creates a solution, government gets re-elected. The public is fooled every time.
i missed the solution part….
Hotel rooms, I never said ‘good’ solution, but it is enough to get votes
yet another government iniative that will be abused to high heaven and increase the tax on those who are struggling already.
You can tell it is near election time. Been on the streets for years, but suddenly they will be re-housed. Minister, anyone can see you for what you really are.
Poor Andre got out smarted again. So much for being the smartest man in the room. Andrew fire your advisors.
Same idiot doesn’t mention that the $8Million he’s wasted on his vanity “park” would pay for 40 affordable homes, and at least a further 40 homes for the money spent on Smatt’s land Kenny bar dream.
Homeless people should blame Bryan and his overpaid self serving gang for using them as pre election propaganda to keep their noses in the trough.
Yet they will elect him again anyway.
housing people in hotels is not the answer and will create an epidemic of people crying poverty for the same reason…
just another failure for this government and cig generally.
?..what a bunch of waffle. there is no real homelessness issue in cayman. there are poeple under pressure..and they will surely now exploit this offer of government putting them up in hotels which is not a solution!
its just another example of this lazy government that has zero ability to tackle problems…just writing more cheques to say they have done something.
Looks like we should have elections every six months.
It is a tragedy that we have homeless families in Cayman.
However, Minister Bryan ignores the fact putting homeless families in hotels cannot be the long term solution.
The reality is that a significant part of the reason we have homeless families is down to the policies of the current and previous governments which encourage the uncontrolled importation of cheap labour which is used to build environment destroying luxury accommodation for non-residents. The imported cheap labour reduces the housing pool, drives up rental costs, increases social tensions, clogs up our roads and raises every other aspect of our cost of living. We need to end imported poverty.
Waking up to reality a bit too late Min Bryan…..when April 30th 2025 goes it’s back to the norm. Pure Hog Wash
Hooray, lets spend more money! The sky is the limit Honorable Big Bucks.
A successful policy for providing housing is to mandate all new developments include low income housing and set aside for same. I am pleased to read that there are still some Cayman kind left
Oh no – they are not going to impose on developers. Or for that matter on hotels – they will ask the hotels, the hotels will say no, back to the status quo but Kenny will say they tried. Too difficult for government to either build low cost housing or compel developers to have a mix.
Existing Hotels and new developments (not that we need anymore) should be mandated/required to build a certain amount of accommodations for its workers, I.e. apartment blocks in 5 to 7 story buildings.
They (the hotels) should be made to maintain the properties themselves. There may be a need to have a monthly rental fee but it would now result in reduced need rentals for foreign nationals who take up rentals space and then turn over to their coworkers when they depart. This leaves limited rentals on the market. (Let’s not even discuss what AirBNB has done to tie up the rental market).
BUT any Caymanian who chooses to be employed there would ALSO get the option of living in its staff quarters too! As it should be open to all staff earning at a specific salary scale (up to a certain amount).
I would not recommend they build housing for say 6000 people, because that would create another land grab, but at least for 100 – 300 people PER property.
It can include common areas, like large outdoor facilities, courtyard, cafe/kitchen and even possible locker room style showers with individual stalls. It could have all the latest money saving controls for electricity and water usage etc.
This way:
1. housing for Caymanians wouldn’t be as lacking.
2. May possibly reduce rent costs overall
3. Government can have oversight on the particulars of regulating such a site
4. Less crowding in rentals leading to less landlord disputes.
5. Various hotel owners/companies can partner to create building blocks etc. for these workers they say they desperately need.
6. May incentivize Caymanians to enter the tourism industry
If locally owned Flowers Group can do this for its staff, then internationally known (billion dollar) hotel chains can figure it out too.
Yes it would take a few years to implement and government would have to have to testicular fortitude to pass such a bill BUT we must look to the future and if we wish to maintain a safe community, then we must address overcrowding.
Too bad Juju already gave all the money away to ensure re-election.
10% of the JOCC’ monthly compensation would cover the housing and food cost of one or two families.
Short term band aid cover up help.