The Opposition coalition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) is now calling for lands to be regularised at Success on the East Coast of Demerara, where squatters have taken over a large portion of state-owned lands.
Squatters at Success
At a virtual press conference on Thursday, Member of Parliament Annette Ferguson, who served as Junior Housing Minister under the coalition, said they are lobbying for those persons to remain on the same lands, even as Government is making alternative arrangements to address the squatters’ situation.
“The APNU+AFC Coalition calls on the Government to act with compassion, to meaningfully consult with the citizens in desperate need of housing, and to take urgent action to ‘regularise’ the squatters at Success,” Ferguson said.
This call comes amidst concerns about the domino effect which such actions could have on other communities, in that many squatters would feel entitled to the lands they’re occupying.
Former Junior Housing Minister Annette Ferguson
Another APNU/AFC’s member, Ganesh Mahipaul, acknowledged during the virtual briefing that the issue of squatting had been a major issue under the former coalition administration.
Mass squatting along the ECD corridor had resulted in a confrontation between residents and State officials after squatters were informed that they were squatting on Government reserve lands.
Persons had even become violent when they were asked to vacate the lands which belong to the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), primarily at Vryheid’s Lust, Success and Chateau Margot.
This had caused the Ministry of Housing and Water to intervene, promising the squatters house lots in one of 22 areas which are being developed.
A few days ago, it was reported that lands in 22 areas on the East Coast, East Bank, and West Bank of Demerara; and at Linden, in Berbice, and in Essequibo, were approved for housing in the 2020 Emergency Budget last week. This publication understands that allocations for the residents will fall under this project.
In September, a meeting was convened and Government’s zero-tolerance position on squatting was further made clear. The Ministry has assured that all the necessary infrastructure for sustainable housing: such as roads, potable water, electrification, and drainage and irrigation, will be installed at whichever locations these persons are placed.
Already, the issue of squatting in this area has resulted in dire impact for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). The Corporation has lost a significant amount of its research crop at the Chateau Margot Nursery, after some 17,000 varieties of sugarcane were destroyed by the squatters to make room for their housing needs.
The damaged plants were of fine quality, with the potential to earn the country billions per year. The loss has also dampened Guyana’s thrust in the sector, since years of research have been completely devastated.
When Guyana Times visited the Success area on Monday last, the squatters were in the process of submitting their information to officers from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) who were on site. Scores of persons were willing to seek help from the authorities in order to better their living conditions. Moreover, some persons were open to moving to another location.
Meanwhile, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Chairman Daniel Seeram has said he is not fully appraised of the situation, but residents in surrounding communities have since complained of criminal activities and robberies occurring since the proliferation of squatters.
Responding to the concerns of residents, Chairman Seeram has said, “Demographics in that area is mixed.”
Housing Minister Collin Croal has, since taking office, said Government would be opening new lands for housing settlements, and has promised to work with squatters to relocate them.
