Henties Bay residents petition council over land allocation process
HENTIES BAY (NAMPA) – Some Henties Bay residents on Tuesday said the land allocation process used by the town’s municipality is discriminatory and unfair.
The residents, through the Henties Bay Housing Committee’s spokesperson Jekolin Somaes, claimed in a petition that the inclusion of some beneficiaries for the ultra-low income plots handed over last month, raises a lot of questions. “The previous arrangement of including the Henties Bay Housing Committee has been done away with by the municipality for reasons only known to them, although the committee has better knowledge of who the real needy people at the town are as we live amongst them,” she stressed.
Somaes added that some of the names included on the beneficiary list are people who are deceased, and some are not even residents of the town. Others can allegedly not be classified under the low-income section, such as the general workers of the Henties Bay municipality.
The residents furthermore demanded fair and transparent housing and plot allocations, saying this can be ensured by involving the committee in the screening and verification of beneficiaries.
They likewise demanded the cancelling of the Redforce Debt Management contract, which company they accused of wanting to profit from residents’ misfortunes. The debt collection services can be carried out directly by the municipality, they added.
Henties Bay mayor Lewies Vermaak received the petition on behalf of the council, saying the issues will be discussed.
“We are aware of these issues, and are currently in discussion to find answers and solutions to some of these allegations and issues.
We, as a council, would also like Redforce to go. However, we are trying to follow the right procedures in order to avoid a lawsuit. It is a process, and we would like you to be patient with us,” he urged.