Kingston mayor promises action on homeless issue, illegal vending

By Halshane Burke 

  

Chairman of the Kingston & St. Andrew Municipal Corporation and Mayor of Kingston, Andrew Swaby, has said efforts will be made to deal with the number of homeless people across the city.

 

Mayor Swaby said the issue is one that will require the intervention of several agencies. 

 

"Just yesterday I met with the president of the Court of Appeal and they are having that issue right in front of Justice Square and so it's an issue, but it is a sensitive issue...and we have to be very careful of how we handle the situation. But it's something that we as a municipal corporation [are] going to tackle. But you have to understand that all of it doesn't reside with the local authority so we have to have a multi-agency approach to deal

with it," he outlined. 

 

Mayor Swaby was speaking at a press conference to highlight achievements in his first 100 days in the post.

 

He said the issue of illegal vending across the Corporate Area is also high on his things to do list. 

 

While admitting that some markets are in a deplorable condition, he insisted this is not an excuse for illegal vending.

 

"We have to have [an] honest discussion with the vendors. We have to also educate the vendors that you are selling and you might look at hustling but your business cannot thrive in untidy environment and chaos. And we have started to have a discussion. I have said to the vendors that they need to have an organisation where they have someone representing them, where we can sit around this same table, discuss these issues and come up with [solutions]," he said, noting that he did not want to have a heavy-handed approach where vendors are not consulted.