What should be done about the ‘squatters’?
“We have to be humane and understand their situation. Where can they go to? But if they are allowed to stay, there is a possibility others will start joining them,” mentioned Mr Jacobs.
Scrounging for food, enduring bitterly cold nights and with nowhere to call home, the plight of four homeless men living in Paradise has not gone unheard.
Over the past week, a handful of residents have opened their hearts to the ‘squatters’ by donating blankets, jackets and food.
“We have our homes, beds, blankets and curtains and we still get cold. How do these people feel outside in the elements?” asked Mark Jacobs, a Paradise resident and head of Two Eagles Security Neighbourhood Watch.
“We have to be humane and understand their situation. Where can they go to? But if they are allowed to stay, there is a possibility others will start joining them,” mentioned Mr Jacobs.
If more homeless people were to join the current ‘squatters’, Mr Jacobs said it would become harder to move them off the site.
Moreover, the ‘squatters’ littered the area, he claimed.
“The litter is not a good sight and this could all damage property value in the area.”
While the municipality could not stop people from sleeping out in the open, Muzi Shozi, Director of Housing and Land, said the men had been told to move.
If they refused, their belongings would be taken to the municipal dump site.
