New Amelia’s Ward Housing Scheme: Squatters hindering advancement of Linden housing drive

Hundreds of families who have been allocated residential house lots in Phase Four of Amelia’s Ward in Linden, Region 10, are currently being prevented from occupying their lands because a handful of squatters remain defiant against all warnings and notices from the Housing Ministry.
As contractors attempt to execute infrastructural works in the area, which has been earmarked for road networks, they are being met with harsh opposition by a group of persons who are claiming to be farmers. In one instance, there was a report of workers being assaulted and machinery being damaged.
During a recent visit to the area, Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority, Sherwyn Greaves, reiterated that while the Ministry stands ready to work with all citizens, development will not be held up by a few.
Greaves also noted that the Ministry has exhausted all efforts even as it continues to plead with persons illegally occupying lands in the area to remove. The agency is therefore reminding persons that squatting is illegal, and persons are cautioned to desist from erecting structures in the area, as the continuation of such activities would leave the agency with no alternative other than to demolish those structures.
After outlining development plans for the area, the Ministry, in May of 2022, was forced to remove 20 structures from the area because those structures had fallen in the path of a road. However, the occupants of those structures were fully compensated.
Following that demolition exercise, a significant amount of land clearing was done. However, over recent months, another group of persons moved into the area, in some instances building new structures, while others claimed to own farmlands in the area.
An assessment was done by NAREI, and a decision was taken to compensate the persons for the cash crops seen on the lands. However, the persons who lay claims to the farms had no documentation for the lands.
This new occurrence has now stalled millions of dollars in infrastructural works from being carried out in the area, which when completed will benefit more than 300 first-time homeowners.
It was previously reported that, in July 2021, 400 house lots and 144 land titles and transports were issued to residents in Linden during a Housing and Water Ministry “Dream Realized” initiative.
Presently, infrastructural works are ongoing to facilitate the 400 Lindeners who were allocated lands by CH&PA in the scheme. Additionally, over $300 million was set aside for infrastructural works to ensure that allottees can live in wholesome communities.