THE EDITOR, Sir:
THIS LETTER is to enlighten the National Housing Trust 'The Trust' of a recurrent problem that has been facing us for the past nine years.
We were issued Lot 496 in the area known in the community as 'Steep Hill'. Our house is at the bottom of the hill. We were reassured on receiving the keys to our new home that a retaining wall in excess of 15 feet high would have been built. In the early days we saw personnel from the Sugar Corporation of Jamaica, and the National Housing Trust assessing and measuring this area for this retaining wall. We were assured that the wall would be erected soon but to no avail.
Over the years, we have contacted Messrs Patrick Brown, Quinton Masters and Ferret Ricketts from the NHT and we were promised that this wall would have been erected; we are still waiting.
The Claremont Heights Citi-zens Association wrote to the National Housing Trust about this wall and they too were assured that this wall would have been built. In 2003, we heard from Mr. Ricketts inviting us to a meeting where we were told the shocking news that this wall is costing more money than the actual unit and the Trust could not afford to build it, so, live with it. Certainly it cannot be our responsibility to erect this wall alone.
We had the most frightful experience the night of Hurri-cane Ivan, September 10, 2004; soil used to backfill the hillside eroded.
We are therefore appealing to the National Housing Trust to help us avoid a catastrophe.
We are, etc.,
MICHAEL AND
AVA CHAMBERS
