Dream homes turned nightmares

A chorus of fury has erupted among homeowners of Edmund Ridge Estates in St James after Hurricane Melissa tore through the three-year-old housing scheme, ripping off roofs and flattening structures, leaving several families in distress.

After paying upwards of $19.2 million for the units in the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) development, homeowners are demanding an immediate probe into the building standards, and for accountability from the government agencies that certified the project.

“Some of us are still sleeping in our cars. Our homes were totally gutted by the hurricane and they haven’t even [visited] to talk with us. They’re just directing us to the insurance,” said Maurice McGhie, a homeowner in Phase 2.

Located in Rhyne Park on the outskirts of Montego Bay, the mixed housing scheme features single-family homes, split-level units, and row townhouses. It was developed by Chinese firm Henan Fifth Construction Group, in partnership with HAJ, which owns the project. The plan includes six phases and 754 units.

McGhie, and other homeowners told The Sunday Gleaner that concerns had been raised long before the hurricane season, after “significant” structural flaws were reportedly noticed within a number of the housing units when residents moved in.

For them, the hurricane unmasked what they described as long-established defects that included seeping walls and leaky windows.

Last week, when The Sunday Gleaner toured the scheme, twisted sheets of zinc lined every street – replaced by blue tarpaulin that now shielded homeowners from outside elements.

More than 90 per cent of roofs torn off

Residents estimate that more than 90 per cent of roofs in Phase 2 of the scheme was torn off by the monster storm, forcing some homeowners to leave, while others recoiled into the least affected parts of their houses or set up temporary stays in their cars.

In Phase 3, where units are to be handed over to buyers in the coming months, the interior of several crumbled along with the roofs.

“It’s paper drywall,” said McGhie, demonstrating this by tearing a piece of the crumbled material that had made up the interior of the house.

“It’s all gone. It’s all paper. Looking at what is left, I’ve cried many times already. I’m still in disbelief,” he said, adding that he and his wife, Kenesha, have since been sleeping in their car.

Their eight-year-old son, who also suffered through the destruction of the house, has been sent to stay with a relative in Kingston. The experience has rattled him, his parents said.

“When the zinc was flying away, I asked him to go under the bed, and that’s where we sought cover. When the roof was going, we run out of it, and that’s what spared our lives. He was crying, traumatised,” said McGhie, who moved into the scheme just under two years ago.

The family of three remained in the car during the passage of the storm, the man said, hoping that it would remain grounded until they could safely leave.

He said prior to the storm, they bought only food and water, feeling that that was sufficient in terms of preparation given that they were living in a newly built scheme.

“It was never in our wildest imagination that any of the roof would be gone. It was never in our expectation because I think what they said was that the roofs are hurricane-proof,” he said.

More than half of the roof of the house went with the storm and the drywall that separated rooms crumbled to dust.

He said while the developers did a walkthrough of the scheme and have begun renovating the unoccupied Phase 3, they have not communicated with displaced homeowners in Phases One or Two.

“It has been a real devastating situation, traumatising. We don’t even have a mattress to lay our heads on. It is just sad to know that with everything that has happened. Yes, many are feeling the brunt of Melissa, but it would have said a lot if these developers would have at least taken the opportunity to come and speak with residents on an individual basis and get an understanding as to what is happening. It would have gone a far way,” Kenesha said.

Returning resident Marie McIntyre told The Sunday Gleaner that she harboured doubts about her investment into the scheme and that this was ultimately confirmed with the hurricane’s passage.

She said after the developers made a call for cash purchasers, she paid an initial deposit and shortly afterwards, she paid the balance.

“They said I can’t move in because they haven’t really got the money to complete the work. I said, ‘how is that when you’ve had our deposit for so long?’” the woman, who returned from the United Kingdom, said.

She said following that, it was a “hassle” to get the keys to the house and that it was equally frustrating to obtain the title.

“I’ve since moved in and have had all kinds of problems with it … . So, there’s a lot to investigate about this. It’s not just Hurricane Melissa; it’s been a long story all along. This is Jamaica. This is my home where I’ve always wanted to be and now I’ve got to find all that money to literally rebuild again,” she said.

“It’s going to need a roof. The walls are plaster boards. The walls let water in. The tiles are all lifting. I have paid for a house and now I’m going to have to rebuild it. I’m surprised that the specs for these houses were as they are,” said McIntyre, who showed The Sunday Gleaner a video of a person she said is a developer explaining why he believed that the units were “badly” constructed.

“I’m not necessarily blaming the Chinese or anyone in particular, but somebody signed off on these. Somebody signed off on these. You’d expect more damage at the houses in Rhyne Park built over 20 years ago. These are more or less the same [type of] house, but [it seems] they were made with different specs. Barely a roof is off over there and barely a leak, but with these, the specs are not good,” she argued.

“Pure cheap material”

A third resident, who spoke to The Sunday Gleaner but did not want to be identified, vowed to continue pressing for answers about the construction process.

“Them nuh see headache yet. Me just a start so make them gwaan drive through. Pure cheap material,” she said.

The Sunday Gleaner contacted HAJ Managing Director Doreen Prendergast, who said though the agency “empathised” with homeowners, no one could have anticipated what occurred with the passage of the hurricane.

Prendergast declined to comment on the material used for construction, noting that there was extensive devastation across the country.

“I cannot sit here and surmise that whatever roofing can withstand a Category 5 hurricane. So they would have to provide their evidence concerning the quality of the material. What I know is that we are doing this housing development and there are professionals undertaking this development,” she said.

“This is not the only development that has been impacted. Right across the country, both private and public sector development have been impacted. So I don’t understand what they are saying and I don’t know the basis upon which they are saying what they are saying. I don’t know what qualification they have to say what they say,” she told The Sunday Gleaner.

She said while housing is one of the biggest investments one can make, setbacks will happen that the correct avenues can address.

She said mortgagors have been directed to respective insurers for loss recovery.

kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com