Latest update April 16th, 2026 4:35 PM
Removal of street people to become mandatory
The problem of homeless people on the streets will soon become a thing of the past, since plans are apace to make their removal a mandatory and permanent process.
At least, this is according to Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Ms Priya Manickchand, when she commented on the matter yesterday.
Minister Manickchand said that, while the ministry’s efforts are not centred on the preparation for Carifesta X, her ministry intends to ensure that every feasible measure is put in place to rid the streets of homeless persons.
The minister said that, currently, a more in-depth strategy to address the problem is being discussed, but she noted that the plan will not be engaged by the Ministry of Human Services alone. She divulged that a number of agencies will collaborate to bring the plan to fruition.
Currently, there are ongoing discussions between various agencies, and according to the minister, it will not be long before the joint-collaboration will unveil a release on the way forward.
It is anticipated that, through the collaboration, a holistic approach to the problem will be derived, the minister said.
She pointed out that the problem of homeless people is one that occurs globally, and therefore is not common to Guyana alone.
It is for this reason, she added, that the ministry will not be restricting its efforts to the upcoming grand event to be hosted here.
The minister disclosed, though, that while continuous efforts are being made by her ministry to find placements for the homeless, the efforts are challenged by the fact that some of these homeless people prefer to remain on the streets.
She noted that it is a hard task for the ministry, at the moment, to keep the streets free of the homeless, hence the collaborative approach was crystallised and is expected to significantly impact the current situation.
With the fruition of the anticipated plan, vagrants will not have a choice but to be placed in available accommodation.
And there is no lack of available accommodation for the homeless, according to the minister, even as she disclosed that the Night Shelter and the Dharam Shala are among the entities that have more than adequate accommodation for them.
According to her, the Night Shelter has the capacity to accommodate an additional 25 persons. At the moment, the entity, which has come under the purview of the ministry, is home to about 120 persons, some of whom are even able to work and support themselves.
Similarly, the Dharm Shala offers accommodation to about 45 persons, but has the capacity to house a few more, should the need arise.
But, according to an official at the Dharm Shala, persons who are alcoholic or have mental disorders will not be allowed to access that facility.
However, the official said that, currently, a number of homeless persons, amounting to about 15, are fed by the institution, but they must find alternative accommodation for themselves.
The official disclosed that two mentally disturbed persons are being lodged at the Dharm Shala, a practice the institution has been cautioned against. However, these persons do not cause any problems.
According to Minister Manickchand, not only are the homeless persons assured of a place to stay through the proposed plan, but they will be offered other services, such as counselling, which are geared towards helping them to have a better life.
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