House lots, homes given to displaced Linden squatters

Given to Housing units and house lots has been offered by the government to 16 squatters of Amelia’s Ward, Linden, Region Ten, who were displaced, to make way for the construction of a new access road.

On Monday, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) Sherwyn Greaves met with the residents at the Regional Housing Office in Crabwood Street, Linden. The CEO announced that the two families whose structures were demolished will receive housing units, while the other residents who had structures such as fence and foundation, will be given house lots.

“We will work with these residents. These 16 persons, we will find alternative lots for them, one or two will be allocated houses, but all in all we would have left here with some clear understanding, and we can move forward positively,” Greaves said. Addressing the issue of government dismantling structures to clear the way for the road’s construction, the CEO explained that following a visit in December 2020, an inventory was conducted where 152 structures were found.  It was later discovered that 16 new structures were erected within the access road and notices were given for them to remove.

“They are new structures and unfortunately, they fell directly where the roads were going and they had to move…We understand that sometimes there is a necessity, but we cannot tolerate squatting,” Greaves stated. The CEO revealed that the housing ministry allocated 400 house lots to residents in Amelia’s Ward Phase Two new housing development last year July. He pointed out that some $364M was allocated to commence the infrastructural works in that area to allow persons to commence the construction of their homes.

“We cannot give persons access to those lots because of those persons who are squatting now. We have to move around that, and we have to constantly be changing our plan, and it is unfair to those 400 people to be affected by a few so as a result those actions were taken,” the CEO argued. The CHPA CEO informed the residents that the government, through CHPA, is committed to working with them and engage in amicable engagements that will provide solutions to their issues.