No need for squatting with Govt’s robust housing plans – Croal

The long-term housing plans currently being set in motion by Government are expected to meet the needs of people across the country, eliminating the need for squatting on State lands.

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal told residents of Belle West, West Bank Demerara (WBD) during an outreach that squatting hindered development of the infrastructural framework within communities, thereby creating a disadvantage for scores of persons.
In fact, it also creates a domino effect on the introduction of utility services to these areas. However, Government has a robust set of plans for the housing sector, thereby eliminating the need for informal settlements.
“There is absolutely no need for us to have continuing informal settlements or squatting. Here in Belle West, you’ve had your fair share and we intend to address it. … part of my mandate as Minister of Housing and Water is also to look at these aspects, because communities cannot develop if we have a parallel implementation or parallel structure ongoing that is outside of what is approved by the State because you’re affected. You won’t get development. You won’t get water. You won’t get electricity. You won’t get road. So, it is not beneficial for this to happen,” he outlined.
According to Croal, the zero-tolerance policy for squatting extends to addressing the issue “frontally”.
“We cannot further shy away from dealing with the matter because whoever are there, you are further affected…We want to see betterment of your lives. That is what we work for every day. That is what we want the government to do. We let a government to bring development for you as a people and to improve your lives.”
In conjunction with the Local Government and Public Works Ministries, an arrangement is in place for the maintenance and construction of the new roadways. Through the Central Housing and Planning Authority, new schemes are being looked at.
“As you can see from our allocation exercise that we had in December last year, you can realise that you are part of our mandate of development. So, the construction industry is expected to take off. By next month, many of those areas which we have allocated on the West Coast … you can see construction commencing,” Croal indicated.
More than $1 billion will be injected into the Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) housing sector in 2021 through an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-funded project.
Funds were for Parfaite Harmonie, Onderneeming, Westminster, Recht-Door-Zee, Lust-en-Rust and Schoonord.
The IDB project, which was earmarked to start back in January, would target infrastructural elevation in existing housing areas to make them more appealing to prospective homeowners and create more sustainable communities.
Works would cover the construction of three playgrounds and 50 core houses and at least 500 subsidies would be granted to qualifying prospective homeowners.
Also, on the Ministry’s agenda for housing development are expansion and upgrade of existing housing areas including Stewartville, Edinburgh, Anna Catherina, Tuschen and Zeelugt. Further, Region Three is also set to benefit from a US$100 million water treatment project for which the Government is securing funding. That should increase water treatment capacity on the coastland from 52 per cent to 90 per cent. (G8)