Hubert Carty sits outside his little shack in Caswell Gardens, Spanish Town, St. Catherine. - Francine Black

Hubert Carty might be old and sick but he is working hard to improve his life, and care for himself. However, with all his efforts, he still needs the public's help to get a home.

Carty has lived in a board shack in Caswell Farms, Spanish Town, St. Catherine, for most of his life. The house, which formerly had two rooms, was partially destroyed by Hurricane Gilbert in 1989.

Since then, nothing has been done to repair the house and it has continued to deteriorate. He has been to the Poor Relief Office in Spanish Town, where he received some ply board to repair the old house, but he has used it to start the construction of a new home next door.

He needs more material to complete it.

To make matters worse, he owes more than $40,000 to the Ministry of Housing for the land on which the houses now rest. Having got bunions, Carty cannot work as much as he used to and so cannot afford to pay the outstanding sum. "Mi haffi siddung and chop di wood and when it burn coal wah ooman come and use di donkey and carry it go sell it fi mi. A dat deh money mi use buy food," he said.

He adds that he often gets about $2,000 whenever he sells the coal and that is about every two weeks. He is also on the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH), from which he receives some money every three to four months.

He says he would also like to get a new home so he can have his grandchildren, whose mother died two years ago, come and live with him. At present, the three children are staying in separate places with different relatives.

He said that his daughter used to be the one who helped out, but since she died, he has been on his own. He says he has a son but they have not spoken in years.

But the 65-year-old says although it is difficult to get by, all he really wants is a home and he will see about everything else. "Mi just want a house and a bed. Mi wi survive wid food and dem tings," he said.